Rare antbird rediscovered and photographed in Colombia

The rare Recurve-billed Bushbird has recently been rediscovered by scientists in Colombia after a 40-year absence.

Clytoctantes alixii had not been observed between 1965 and 2004, due to its limited range and remote habitats. It was seen recently in Venezuela and in a region of north-eastern Colombia, where it was photographed.

Researchers found the bird in a 250-acre (101-hectare) reserve next to the Torcoroma Holy Sanctuary near the Colombian town of Ocaña, where in 1709 locals claimed they saw the image of the Virgin Mary in a tree root. The forests of the sanctuary have been protected by Catholic Church authorities in the centuries ever since.

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