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KUNMING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in southwest China's Yunnan province found a previously unknown population of green peafowl after two months of survey.
The bird which has first-class state protection in China was caught on camera in Xinping County in the city of Yuxi.
"Green peafowl are in their courtship period now and the cameras recorded that process," said Chen Mingyong of the School of Life Sciences at Yunnan University, on Friday.
A research team organized by the School of Life Sciences and the Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve began their work on Jan. 16. and have since taken 8,600 pictures of the bird.
There are at least 20 green peafowl in Xinping.
Green peafowl, found in the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, is listed as "endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with a total world population of 20,000 - 30,000. In China, the species is only found in Yunnan Province.
"They are large and chirp loudly so they fall easy prey to felids," Chen said. "Poachers and damaged habitat have made the species extinct in many parts of Yunnan and they are rarely seen now."
