( CNN ) -- At a time when most birdwatchers are counting the bird species on the way to extinction , to find a new species previously unknown to science might be cause to pop the champagne corks . But to find one in plain view on a construction site in urban Phnom Penh in Cambodia is nothing short of a sensation in ornithological circles . The Cambodian Tailorbird ( Orthotomus chaktomuk ) is one of only two bird species found exclusively in Cambodia ( the other is the Cambodian Laughingthrush ) and its discovery has the world 's `` twitchers '' -- as birdwatchers are known -- twitching with excitement . `` The modern discovery of an undescribed bird species within the limits of a large populous city -- not to mention 30 minutes from my home -- is extraordinary , '' said Simon Mahood of the Wildlife Conservation Society ( WCS ) , who was part of the team that investigated the new species . `` The discovery indicates that new species of birds may still be found in familiar and unexpected locations , '' he said in a statement . Described by the WCS as a `` wren-sized small gray bird with rufous cap and black throat , '' birdwatchers have since found it in abundant numbers in floodplain scrub on the outskirts of Phnom Penh . While scientists say the birds can still be found in numbers , they say its habitat is declining and have recommended that the species be classified as Near Threatened under the International Union for Conservation of Nature 's ( IUCN ) Red List . The remnant floodplain scrub that exists within the Cambodian city of 1.5 million people , however , may go some way to explaining how the bird went unnoticed in the city for so long . The bird was discovered by a member of the WCS who took photographs of what was first thought to be a similar , coastal species of Tailorbird at a construction site on the edge of Phnom Penh . The bird in the photographs defied identification and further investigation revealed that it was an entirely unknown species . `` Asia contains a spectacular concentration of bird life , but is also under sharply increasing threats ranging from large scale development projects to illegal hunting , '' Steve Zack , WCS Coordinator of Bird Conservation said in a press release . `` Further work is needed to better understand the distribution and ecology of this exciting newly described species to determine its conservation needs . '' According to the Oriental Bird Club publication `` Forktail '' , a half century of human conflict in Indochina -- which made the region off-limits to bird watchers -- has made Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam a fertile zone for twitchers , with the past two decades witnessing a flush of new bird discoveries . The publication said that while the modern discovery of an undescribed bird species close to sea-level within the limits of a large city in a populous country was extraordinary , it was not unprecedented , citing the discovery of new species of marsh bird close to Sao Paulo in Brazil in 2005 . It said the sheer ordinariness of the Tailorbird 's scrubby habitat may have kept it hidden until now . `` This habitat is of little interest to birdwatchers and ornithologists because the other species that it supports are some of the most widespread and abundant birds in tropical South-East Asia , '' the publication said . `` Even if its habitat were to attract more attention , the denseness of the habitat and the species ' skulking habits would more often than not render it invisible to the casual would-be observer . ''
Birdwatchers discover previously unknown species of bird in Cambodia . Score: 7 The rare find indicates there may be more species yet to be discovered in the region . Until now , 50 years of human conflict had made parts of Indochina off-limits to bird watchers .