Scientists Thought These 5 Bird Species Were Gone—Then They Reappeared in 2025
They vanished for over a decade… but five rare bird species were just rediscovered in 2025.
Five bird species that hadn’t been seen, heard or genetically detected in over a decade were documented by researchers and birdwatchers in 2025—and the story behind how they were found is as remarkable as the birds themselves.
The rediscoveries are part of the 2026 update of the Lost Birds List, maintained by the Search for Lost Birds project, a collaboration between American Bird Conservancy, Re:wild and BirdLife International. The list tracks species that haven’t been documented for at least a decade using sightings, recordings or genetic evidence.
The findings helped shrink the total number of “lost” bird species from 163 in 2022 to 120 in the 2026 update.
Where the birds turned up
All five rediscovered species were documented in Southeast Asia and Oceania:
- Bismarck kingfisher (Ceyx websteri)—photographed in May in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea after 13 years without records.
- Biak myzomela (Myzomela rubrobrunnea)—photographed in Indonesian Papua after being unrecorded for two decades.
- Broad-billed fairywren (Chenorhamphus grayi)—photographed and recorded by sound in Indonesian Papua, its first documentation in 11 years.
- Sulu cuckooshrike (Coracina guillemardi)—photographed in the Philippines’ Sulu Archipelago after 18 years without records.
- Rufous-breasted blue flycatcher (Cyornis camarinensis)—photographed in Luzon Island, Philippines, after last being seen in 2008.
One additional case stood out: Jerdon’s courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus), a critically endangered nocturnal bird in South India, was recorded by sound after not being documented for 125 years. However, further evidence such as photographs is still required to confirm the rediscovery.
Then in February 2026, two French birders photographed a rusty bush lark (Calendulauda rufa) in Chad—a species that had not been documented for 94 years.
How researchers find ‘lost’ birds
John Mittermeier, director of the Search for Lost Birds project, described the list as an “early warning system” for species that have not been observed recently.
He said it helps “fill conservation data gaps” before formal assessments identify species at risk of extinction and allows conservation efforts to target species that might “potentially slip between the cracks.”
Mittermeier explained that the team identifies rediscoveries by reviewing public platforms such as eBird, iNaturalist and Xeno-Canto—meaning everyday birdwatchers around the world play a direct role.
“The most fun part for me of this whole initiative and experience is seeing these discoveries that people around the world are making,” he said.
What the list actually tracks
The Lost Birds List is separate from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, which assesses extinction risk over time. The Lost Birds List instead identifies species that have not been observed for long periods but are not yet confirmed extinct.
Mittermeier noted that rediscovery, extinction and taxonomic changes all affect the list’s composition. Confirming extinction ensures “we’re not putting effort into looking for something that isn’t there and doesn’t exist,” he said.
Six species just joined the ‘lost’ list
While five species came off the list, six more were added in 2026 due to a lack of recent documentation:
- Mindoro bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae), last photographed in 2005 in the Philippines
- Mindoro imperial pigeon (Ducula mindorensis), last documented in 2016 in the Philippines
- Guadalcanal honeyeater (Guadalcanaria inexpectata), from the Solomon Islands
- Minahasa shortwing (Heinrichia simplex), from Sulawesi, Indonesia
- Samoan white-eye (Zosterops samoensis), from Savai’i, Samoa
- Vanikoro white-eye (Zosterops gibbsi), from Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands
For every bird that reappears after years of silence, another quietly drops off the radar. The Lost Birds List is a living document — one that shifts with every expedition, every uploaded photo and every sound recording captured by someone who happened to be in the right forest at the right time.
Conversation
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