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Blimey! Betcha never saw a bird like that before

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A new species of song bird has been found in Asia, and from the pictures of it it’s quite clear why it’s been shy for so long – it’s not a very pretty polly.

The bird is bald, and sports what the National Geographic calls a wispy Mohawk. Its name? The bare-faced bulbul. The baldy is the first new bulbul to be found in Asia in 100 years.

The bird lives in Laos, and was reported by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Melbourne.

“It’s always exciting to discover a new species, but this one is especially unique because it is the only bald songbird in Asia,” said Colin Poole, director of Asia programs for the Wildlife Conservation Society (press release).

The bird lives in a particularly remote and rugged part of Laos, in limestone karst, which could explain why its unique looks and song have gone unnoticed until now.

Msnbc news has tried to describe the call of the bird: “Like an opera singer milking a final aria, the bird produces at least one song that rises distinctly and ends “abruptly in a higher, separate note.” Yet another call was translated to human-speak as “ch-ch chi chi-chi-chi-chi,” with the individual notes again rising in pitch.” So now you know what to listen out for.

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    bruce carter said:

    Are we sure this is not a mutant caused by agent orange?

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