Bird at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The discovery of four new bird species was the unexpected highlight of the 6th Birding Festival of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) held in Southwest China's Yunnan province from Sunday to Tuesday. The discovery brings the total number of bird species at the garden to 271.

The festival attracted numerous enthusiastic birdwatchers and bird or environmental protection organizations. Many of them aimed to find the previously known 267 species of birds at XTBG and its neighboring green stone forest.