Scientists Discover New Species of Birds in Peru

Scientists have identified a new species of bird that has a lot of red marks on his body and live in the jungle mountains of Peru.

A team of four young ornithologists found the bird during a trip to the region in September 2008 and publish their research findings in the journal The Auk July 2012 issue.

Small birds were often seen in pairs, explore the canopy of low to look for fruit and other snacks. Their faces seemed to have a black mask, white throat and bright blood-red mark on their heads. The red color is also down to the bird's chest.

The scientists named this bird Barbet Capito Fitzpatrick Sira or the official scientific language. Bird habitat appears limited to a small part of the steamy jungle and dense in the crowded eastern slopes of the high Andes.

Genetic data reveal new species found closely associated with red Barbet. However, the new birds were found to have red colors are brighter than their close cousins​​.

The species name is taken from John W. Fitzpatrick, a renowned ornithologist who led a field expedition to Peru in the 1970s and the 1980s. He also worked to help identify the six species new to science. Currently he is director of Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology.