The Great Eared Nightjar spotted: Rare bird species found in Assam's Kakopathar

A rare bird group known as the Great Eared Nightjar was discovered in Kakopather, Assam's Tinsukia district last week. The bird was rescued by the locals, who then alerted the forest service. Forest Officer Pirasudan B posted the video to his official Twitter account with a caption, "GREAT EARED NIGHTJAR was spotted last week in Upper Assam in Kakopathar. A VERY RARE SIGHTING IN ASSAM. Kudos to Villagers for rescuing the bird and promptly informing @assamforest"

The Great Eared Nightjar belongs to the Caprimulgidae family of nightjars. It is the largest of the bird family's species. The bird can be found throughout Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Subtropical or moist lowland tropical woods are its natural habitat.

The bird flew away at night, came back the next day

The Sentinel reported that Deepak Mahanta, a local resident, had seen the bird there a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, the bird flew away at night, presumably in search of food, but returned to the same spot the next morning. When Deepak informed his neighbours about the bird, they came in droves. When a team of forest department personnel inspected the spot, the bird was identified as a Great Eared Nightjar. These birds are usually found in South India and despite the fact that Assam was also its natural habitat, the forest personnel predicted that it would become extinct.

According to The Sentinel, locals couldn't ascertain when the bird arrived in their village and settled in a tree. One man who saw and rescued the bird said that when he first saw the bird, he mistook it for a cat. But as soon as he got close to it and realised that it was a bird.

Other new species recently found in Assam

Recently a Himalayan mandarin duck was also spotted near the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Assam. According to a recent study, a new snake species variant has been discovered in Assam for the first time in over 100 years. A team of scientists from India, the United Kingdom, and the United States made the momentous finding that identified the new snake species. This incredible new snake species discovered in Assam is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement for both biologists and the people of the state.

Image- @iam_Pirai/Twitter