FOUND: How the Vilcabamba Inca Was Documented for the First Time in 57 Years
Nina Foster / 31 Mar 2025 / Vilcabamba Inca
The story behind the rediscovery and first photographs of a lost hummingbird in Peru.
Latest News from the Search for Lost Birds
FOUND: Rufous-breasted Blue Flycatcher rediscovered in the Philippines after 17 years
Search for Lost Birds / 26 Mar 2025 / Rufous-breasted Blue Flycatcher
Recent photographs provide the first documented record of the species since 2008.
Updating the Lost Birds list to 2025
John C. Mittermeier, Alex J. Berryman & Cullen Hanks / 17 Mar 2025
What birds Lost Birds were rediscovered in 2024? Did any new birds become lost in the past year? We cover those questions and more in the 2025 list update.
FOUND: Black-lored Waxbill photographed for the first time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Nina Foster / 3 Mar 2025 / Black-lored Waxbill
A new publication details the first records since 1950 of a data deficient African songbird.
FOUND: Slender-tailed Cisticola rediscovered in northeastern Angola after 14 years
John C. Mittermeier / 14 Feb 2025 / Slender-tailed Cisticola
A twice-rediscovered African bird offers insight into how to find lost species.
FOUND: Sira Barbet and Peruvian Solitaire in southeastern Peru
Fabrice Schmitt / 5 Feb 2025 / Sira Barbet
Fabrice Schmitt describes an expedition by GECO Nature that resulted in photographs and sound recordings of two species not documented since 2013.
FOUND: Two Lost Birds in a week (almost!)
Josh Bergmark / 29 Nov 2024 / Bougainville Thicketbird
Josh Bergmark tells the story of visiting Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, to find the lost Bougainville Thicketbird and nearly-lost Moustached Kingfisher.
Lost forever: The Slender-billed Curlew is extinct
John C. Mittermeier / 26 Nov 2024 / Slender-billed Curlew
Last documented in 1995, the lost shorebird is the first extinction of a bird species from mainland Europe according to a new study.
FOUND: Mysterious Unicolored Thrush documented in Bolivia!
John C. Mittermeier / 2 Oct 2024 / Unicolored Thrush
Photographs taken in August 2024 are the first documented records of this rarely-seen species in 11 years.
FOUND: Rare goshawk photographed for the first time in Papua New Guinea
World Wildlife Fund Pacific / 13 Sep 2024 / New Britain Goshawk
Sighting of New Britain Goshawk, lost for 55 years, highlights need to protect biodiversity in Papua New Guinea.
FOUND: Birders rediscover lost bird on Mussau in Papua New Guinea!
Katie Doke Sawatzky / 26 Aug 2024 / Mussau Triller
Rarely glimpsed Mussau Triller documented for the first time in 44 years.
Updating the Lost Birds List to 2024
John C. Mittermeier, Alex J. Berryman & Cullen Hanks / 12 Aug 2024
What birds have been found since the first Search for Lost Birds List was launched in 2022? Have any new birds become Lost since then? We cover those questions and more in the 2024 list update.
Keeping the Dream Alive: an update on the search for the Pink-headed Duck
Laura Moreno / 8 Jul 2024 / Pink-headed Duck
A project in northern Myanmar holds out hope of finding the iconic and critically endangered waterbird.
New analysis reveals 126 birds are lost to science and haven't had a confirmed sighting in at least a decade
Search for Lost Birds / 17 Jun 2024
Citizen scientists could help rediscover and answer lingering questions about the whereabouts and status of some species
First photos of the Yellow-crested Helmetshrike!
Search for Lost Birds / 25 Apr 2024 / Yellow-crested Helmetshrike
Striking species found only in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo documented for the first time in 16 years.
New Research Reveals Habitat, Range and Behavior of the Santa Marta Sabrewing
American Bird Conservancy / 25 Mar 2024 / Santa Marta Sabrewing
Stunning Video Captures Beauty of the Once Lost Hummingbird
The rediscovery of a lost bird sparked an effort to find more species in Madagascar
Eddy Daniel / 1 Sep 2023 / Dusky Tetraka
Conservationists are headed to Makira forest to search for dozens of lost species
Mysterious songbird rediscovered in Madagascar after eluding scientists for 24 years
Jordan Rutter / 1 Mar 2023 / Dusky Tetraka
The Dusky Tetraka was one of the Search for Lost Birds' top 10 most wanted species.
Large pigeon lost to science for 140 years rediscovered in Papua New Guinea
Jordan Rutter / 17 Nov 2022 / Black-naped Pheasant-pigeon
An expedition with the Search for Lost Birds captured the first-ever photos and video of the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon
An expedition is preparing to search for an owl that hasn’t been seen in more than a century
Devin Murphy / 7 Nov 2022 / Siau Scops-Owl
The Siau Scops-owl is one of the top 10 most wanted by the Search for Lost Birds
Rare singing, emerald-green and iridescent-blue hummingbird unexpectedly rediscovered in Colombia
Jordan Rutter / 4 Aug 2022 / Santa Marta Sabrewing
New sighting of lost Santa Marta Sabrewing gives conservationists hope for the Critically Endangered species
An expedition for a lost bird finds dozens of other species thriving in a dense Colombian forest
Devin Murphy / 21 Dec 2021 / Sinú Parakeet
After exploring the Murrucucú Mountains in Córdoba, the Sinú Parakeet still hasn’t been found, but local communities are prepared to keep searching
FOUND: After dodging rediscovery for nearly 16 years, a tiny bird reveals itself to expedition in Venezuela
Jordan Rutter / 3 Jun 2021
Team captures first-ever clear photos and recording of the bird’s call
FOUND: Locals and scientists rediscover the Black-browed Babbler in Borneo after 172 years
Jordan Rutter / 25 Feb 2021
Expeditions planned this year will help scientists learn more about the species
After years of conflict, might a lost parakeet species reveal itself in this Colombian forest?
Molly Bergen / 24 Feb 2021 / Sinú Parakeet
After years of conflict might a lost parakeet species reveal itself in this Colombian forest
The search for Costa Rica’s most mysterious hummingbird
Gege Li / 14 Aug 2020 / Guanacaste Hummingbird
Confirming the existence of the Alfaro’s Hummingbird could also help to protect other species