A new songbird has been discovered in central Laos, according to the Los Angeles Times. The small, greenish-gray bird has a distinctive bald head and dark bill, and has been christened the bare-faced bulbul. It is the first new bulbul species to be discovered in Asia in over a century and the first bald songbird ever found in mainland Asia. Because of the isolated nature of the birds’ habitat, the population density and range of the species is as yet unknown.The most familiar type of bird with a featherless head is a vulture, which lacks feathers on the head for sanitation as it feeds on carrion. Why a small songbird would have a “bald” head isn’t yet known, but speculations have it connected to mating rituals. Other songbirds regularly lose their head feathers due to injury, parasites or disease, but the discovery of a new bald species is a rare and exciting event for birders worldwide.
Limestone Karst Habitat
Photo © SarahDepper
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