DIBRUGARH: A Green cochoa bird (Cochoa Viridis) was rescued from Lakhipathar Reserve Forest under Doomdooma forest division in upper Assam‘s Tinsukia district on Monday morning.
Devojit Moran, an environmentalist said he rescued the injured Green cocoa from the Lakhipathar Reserve Forest while he went to release a Python, which was also rescued earlier.
The rare Green Cochoa was sighted for the first time at the Lakhipathar Reserve Forest.
Devojit Moran said, “I rescued the bird when I went there to release a Python that was rescued from Tingrai Railway Station earlier.”
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While the bird is listed on the “Least Concerned” list of the IUCN, it is still considered to be a rarity in this part of the country.
“I found the rare bird in the reserve forest which was not able to fly. There are chances of the bird being injured after someone shot it with a catapult”, the Moran said.
“The bird is now in a better condition and is able to move now. and moving. I was guided by an Ornithologist named Firoz Hussain on what food should be given to the bird,” Moran said.
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Ornithologist Firoz Hussain, founder of IDs of Indian Birds said that this was the first time the bird species was spotted in here (Lakhipathar). “It was earlier spotted in Dehing-Patkai National Park”, he added.
“The green cochoa (Cochoa Viridis) is a bird species that was variously placed with the thrushes of family Turdidae or the related Muscicapidae (Old World flycatchers)”, said Hussain.
The green cochoa is usually seen in pairs or small groups sitting in tall trees. They typically feed close to the ground, on molluscs, insects and berries. They sometimes launch aerial sallies to capture insects.
This species breeds in summer, and the nest is much like that of the purple cochoa, but is usually placed close to water. Both parents take turns incubating.