DHUBRI, Dec 12 - Red-naped ibis, a migratory bird has been spotted at Bagribari area of Dhubri district. It is believed that for the first time this bird has been found in western part of Assam.
The large black bird with long legs, long down-curved bill, blue-green glossy black feathers and tail, brown neck and body with a white patch on the shoulders and a bright red patch in the head, has been sighted for the first time in the region, locals claim.
While talking to this correspondent, ornithologists and bird watchers claimed that this bird was last spotted in Kaziranga National Park area a few years back. Thereafter, it could not be spotted again in any part of the State. They maintained that the migratory bird, which is usually found in other parts of the country along with Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Myanmar, has never been seen coming to the State before.
�This bird has never been spotted in this part of the State before. In Bagribari area, a critically-endangered vulture species called �white rumped vulture� has been staying since a long time and, this year, we have spotted this beautiful bird red-naped ibis in this area which might have got lost during migration,� claims Mehtab Uddin Ahmed, a local ornithologist.
He also stated that the bird was spotted with a juvenile, which is good news for the bird and for the area, as it is an indication that the species has chosen it to be a new resting and breeding place.