Experts have identified a new bird species – the long-tailed Minivet - in the city of Ulanqab, in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The environmental protection bureau of Ulanqab and the Life Science College of Inner Mongolia University started to work together to try and indentify the birds in October 2012. One year later, the team said that it had recorded a total of 77,686 birds from 215 species, including 33 national key protected species - and three that are included in Appendix one of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a multilateral treaty which aims to protect endangered animals and plants.

The experts also focused on issues including the number of birds in each species in Ulanqab, ecological distribution and seasonal changes in bird diversity.