An extremely elusive bird species called the Sichuan bush warbler has been discovered by biologists in China via its uniqe call that differentiates it from other local bird species.

This very rare species thrives in particularly dense forests that possess thick vegetation that makes it a challenge for scientists to further observe these creatures which have not been spotted in decades. Some members of the species are found in five Chinese provinces but its unique song was not yet matched to a real bird until now.   

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According to  Pamela Rasmussen from the Michigan State University Museum, this Sichuan bush warbler is very secretive and extremely hard to spot as it prefers to dwell on dense brush and tea plantations. However, its distinctive song which is a low pitched drawn out buzz with shorter clicks on the end, that are repeated in a series makes it unique and easily identifiable.

Researchers have conducted gene analysis of the birds where the results show that they are close relatives of the russet bush warbler that are also found in the same regions in China as the elusive, new species. Scientists now believe that these two bird species have shared a common ancestor from 850,000 years ago with the help of the mitochondrial DNA found in the creatures. The Sichuan bush warbler was first identified by a team of scientists from the U.S., China, Vietnam, Sweden and the U.K.

Its scientific name, Locustella chengi was taken in honor of the ornithologist Cheng Tso-hsin who founded the Peking Natural History Museum who died in 1989. Cheng, who was born in 1906, was a nature lover where he was fond of local birds that dwelled near his home in the forest. He graduated from Fujian Christian University in 1926 and later earned his doctorate in 1930 at the University of Michigan. As a prolific author, he shared his insights about biology and the biodiversity in China to the rest of the world.

Rasmussen adds that the team wanted to honor Professor Cheng Tso-hsin especially for his remarkable contributions to Chinese ornithology. Most species were named after European explorers and monarchs but only a few possess the names of Asian scientists.

Since the birds are rarely in sight, researchers believe that they are far from immediate danger of extinction as they are still dwelling in their native habitat. The elusive birds' home is located 7,500 feet above sea level however, when they are nearby their russet relatives, they prefer lower grounds. 

Listen to the song of the Sichuan bush warbler on the Michigan State University Web site.This study is published in the journal, Avian Research.

Tagssichuan bush warbler, new chinese bird species, elusive bird china, MSU, chinese birds