BUGUN LIOCICHLA

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Picture Courtesy: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/arunachal-pradesh/arunachal-tribe-donates-land-for-critically-endangered-songbird-bugun-liocichla-2940635

Context: The Bugun tribe in Arunachal Pradesh has donated 1,470 hectares of forest land to protect the critically endangered Bugun Liocichla songbird, establishing an example for conservation efforts.

Key Highlights

• The Bugun tribe, a large tribe that lives near the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, donated 1,470 hectares of forest land to the state forest department to help safeguard the Bugun Liocichla, a critically endangered songbird.
• The Bugun Liocichla is a small babbler measuring just 20 cm long, with olive-grey plumage and a black head.
• Bugun Liocichla was identified as a new bird species in 2006 and can only be found in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary landscape. So far, just 14 individual birds have been spotted.
• Tree felling, timber commerce, and village hunting all posed threats to the bird's survival. The forest department's efforts to save the bird were rewarded when the Singchung Village Council agreed to give the forest property.
• The Arunachal Pradesh government established the Braiduah Community Reserve to safeguard the Bugun Liocichla. The forest agency is working to prevent poaching and tree felling in the area.