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WEST INDIES

One of the world's rarest species of birds have been found near a volcano. At least 50 Montserrat Orioles were cited beneath the rim of a volcano in the Soufriere Hills of West Indies. The discovery was made by experts trying to map the effects of the volcano on the island's birds. "It's incredible that a bird on the verge of extinction is living so close to the crater of an exploding volcano. We saw 10 birds in three hours. This suggests that they have been breeding successfully,' said Chris Bowden, biologist at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The discovery brings new hope for the island's birds, which have suffered an unprecedented decline since 1997.

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