Five Long-Lost Bird Species Rediscovered in 2025
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📰 The quick summary: Five bird species not seen in the wild for over a decade were rediscovered in 2025, shrinking the global Lost Birds List to 120 species and showing that dedicated birding communities can pull species back from the edge of forgotten.
📈 One key stat: The Lost Birds List has dropped from 163 to 120 species since 2022, a roughly 25% reduction in just five years, showing that active searching and community involvement can make a real difference for wildlife conservation.
💬 One key quote: “I’m really hopeful that we can get this list down to zero. I think that’s feasible … given the power and the interest of this global community,” said John Mittermeier, director of the Search for Lost Birds project.
1️⃣ The big picture: Five bird species that had gone undocumented in the wild for a decade or more were officially rediscovered in 2025, according to the latest update of the Lost Birds List, a project run by American Bird Conservancy, Re:wild, and BirdLife International. All five rediscovered birds are endemic to islands in Southeast Asia and Oceania, including the Bismarck kingfisher in Papua New Guinea and the rufous-breasted blue flycatcher in the Philippines. A sixth extraordinary find came in early 2026, when two French birders photographed a rusty bush lark in Chad, a species not seen for 94 years. Since the list launched in 2022 with 163 species, active searching by scientists and everyday birders has helped cut that number down to 120, a reduction of roughly 25%. Six new species not documented since 2016 will be added to the list in 2026, keeping the search very much alive.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Every rediscovery opens the door to targeted conservation action, giving scientists and local communities the chance to protect a species before it vanishes for good. Citizen scientists and birding guides, many of them locals with deep knowledge of their environments, are playing a central role in these finds, showing that conservation does not have to rely solely on large institutions. The Lost Birds List acts as an early warning system, flagging species that may be slipping through the cracks before formal assessments can catch up, meaning more birds get attention sooner. Cutting the list by about 25% in just five years proves that coordinated global effort, even using freely available platforms like eBird and iNaturalist, can deliver real results. Each confirmed rediscovery also fuels broader public interest in birds and biodiversity, helping build the community momentum needed to keep pushing the list toward zero.
3️⃣ What’s next: Scientists still need photographs and additional recordings to officially confirm several potential rediscoveries, including a possible sighting of the critically endangered Jerdon’s courser in South India, last documented 125 years ago. Six newly listed species will be actively searched for in 2026, all of them island endemics with limited habitat. Conservation teams can now focus resources more precisely, directing funding and fieldwork toward species confirmed to still exist while reassessing efforts for those declared extinct.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Once lost, now found: Five “missing” bird species rediscovered in 2025, offering hope
