RAJSHAHI, Nov 22: 'Tree Pipit,' a tiny, sparrow like bird thought to be extinct 140-year ago, has been detected by a bird lover in a village in Rajshahi recently.
Tree Pipit is called 'Gecho Tulika' in Bangla was last seen in 1978. Though there are several varieties of Pipit, the Tree Pipit was though to be extinct long ago.
About a month ago, in a remote village of the district Hasnat Rony, a member of Bangladesh Bird Club snapped the photograph of Tree Pipit. The bird was sitting on the branch of an Acasia tree. Then he shared the photo of facebook entitled 'Birds Bangladesh'.
Ornithologist Shahriar Rushdee and Sayem Chowdhury remarked by watching the photo that the bird might be a Tree Pipit.
To be sure, they sent the photos to the Pipit experts in England who took one month's time to determine whether the photo actually belonged to Tree Pipit. On November 20, the experts confirmed the bird was Tree Pipit, thought to be extinct long ago.
Hasnat Rony said renowned ornithologist Paul Thompson informed him through a mail that the bird was Tree Pipit. He also informed to print the photo of the bird in magazine Bird Asia.
Rony further informed, he at first thought the bird was a simple sparrow but after watching that minutely he thought it to be Tree Pipit.
He further said earlier he had snapped identical birds of 'Paddy Field Pipit', Olive backed Pipit, Rosy Pipit and Richard's Pipit. This is for the first time he was able to snap photograph of a bird thought to be extinct from 1878.
Anu Tarek, president of Bangladesh Bird Club informed, there are several kinds of Pipit in the country but Tree Pipit was not seen after 1878.
The Tree Pipit is a migratory bird which spend most of its time on trees and lives on insects and grain. It also makes its nest on soil and has a nice singing voice.
The length of the bird is 14 to 16 cm. Female Tree Pipit lays four to eight eggs in the nest during May to August.
It takes 12 to 13 days to hatch the chicklets.
Photographer of the bird Hasnat Rony is an official of Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank. He has been taking photographs of birds since 2012.
Earlier he has photographed many birds which were thought to be extinct from the country.
