Breeding area of the Large-billed reed warbler, the world's least known bird species, discovered in Afghanistan

Amidst the grim scenario in Afghanistan here comes something to cheer about. Researchers of the Wildlife Conservation Society have discovered for the first time the breeding area of the large-billed reed warbler in the remote Wakhan Corridor of the Pamir Mountains of north-eastern Afghanistan. Large-billed reed warbler was rated in 2007 by ‘BirdLife International’ as "the world's least known bird species”. Practically nothing is known about this species. The first specimen was discovered in India in 1867. It was more than a century later that a second discovery of a single bird was made in Thailand in 2006.

Ornithologists around the world are excited about the discovery. Details appear in the latest issue of BirdingASIA. The authors include: Robert Timmins, Naqeebullah Mostafawi, Ali Madad Rajabi, Hafizullah Noori, Stephane Ostrowski and Colin Poole, of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Urban Olsson of Göteborg University, Sweden; and Lars Svensson.