But, according to the report by BBC News, studies of the bird’s morphology, DNA and discourse have incorrigible it to be a sole species, and scientists have named it the Limestone leaf warbler.
These studies by Prof Alstrom and colleagues, who included scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Lao Program and Birdlife International in Indochina, confirmed the bird’s unique identity.
The plumage of the Limestone leaf warbler is almost identical to that of the Sulphur-breasted warbler, although the new genus appears to have a colder yellow chest and more grey topside and naked cap.
But, the new species is smaller, with shorter wings, rounder wing tips and a proportionately larger bill.
DNA analyses also suggest that it is more closely related to the Yellow-vented warbler from eastern Himalayas, northern Laos and adjacent part of China, which is quite different in plumage.
In spite of being mysterious to knowledge as a new species until now, the Limestone leaf warbler is quite frequent.
