A Buddhist Monk Saves One of the World's Rarest Birds

High in the Himalayas, the Tibetan bunting is getting help from a very special friend
By Phil McKenna
Smithsonian magazine, October 2011

The Tibetan bunting (Emberiza koslowi) is one of the least-known birds on the planet. It has a black and white head and chestnut-colored back and is only slightly larger than a chickadee. In 1900, Russian explorers were the first to document the bird and collect specimens. One hundred years later, British ornithologists published only the third scientific study of the bunting, based on fewer than four hours of observations. Read more...