Mount Victoria Babax bird species spotted in India after 25 years

Last Updated19/01/2022

Mount Victoria Babax bird has been spotted in India’s Mizoram after a long gap of 25 years.
The species has not been seen in India since 1997.
The sighting was made by two birders at the Phawngpui (Blue Mountain) National Park, Mizoram.

Mount Victoria Babax belongs to laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae and is mostly found in open forests, forest edges, and tangles at an elevation of 1200-2800 meters.
It can be found in a limited geographical range in Mizoram and the Chin state of Myanmar.
Until 2005, it was considered a subspecies of the Chinese Babax, which it resembles closely to, but were considered different on the basis of its plumage and song.
Mount Victoria Babax has a slightly down-curved dark bill and thick black mustache stripe.
Phawngpui National Park, Lawngtlai, Mizoram hosts several other birds and animal species, including mountain goat, falcon, sunbirds, Mrs. Hume’s pheasant, and more.

The bird sighting is significant as in India it is limited to a very small area in Mizoram.
This is also the first photographic record of species in India.
Further, the bird species has shown its continuous occurrence in the area, which calls for conservation and protection of the area.
Protecting the area could help in thriving the bird population in the country.
Mizoram is known to be a heaven for wildlife.
It is also home to various kinds of primates capped langur, stumped tailed macaque, and slow loris.
Rare orchids species to bamboos, the state is also rich in floral diversity.