John C. Mittermeier / 1 Dec 2025
BirdLife International recently released their 2025 Red List update which updated the conservation status of 1,360 bird species around the world. A number of lost birds were evaluated as part of this update, and four species that are currently lost and two that were recently rediscovered saw changes to their Red List status.
The most significant update was for Slender-billed Curlew which officially became listed as Extinct. This result was anticipated following a study published in 2024, and is a sad reminder that not all lost birds will be found.
Two species from the eastern Congo Basin, Itombwe Owl and Prigogine’s Greenbul were moved from Endangered to Data Deficient, reflecting how little we know about these two species. With no confirmed records since 1995 for the owl and 1980 for the greenbul, any conservation assessment for these species would be guesswork. Are they doing alright but simply hard to find and under-detected? Or are they threatened with extinction? Hopefully some intrepid birders will be able to find them soon to help answer this question!
Finally, Saffron-breasted Redstart (called Guaiquinima Redstart in the BirdLife taxonomy) was changed from Near Threatened to Least Concern. The last record of the redstart was 1995 (which also happens to be the only time it was photographed) but its population seems secure in the remote montane forests where it lives in Venezuela. Of course, it is still an important species to find after thirty years without a record!
Among the recently rediscovered species, Slender-tailed Cisticola was moved from Data Deficient to Least Concern. This is good news and an example of how new records and updated information about a bird can help lead to improved conservation evaluations. The cisticola was found by Michael Millis in 2024 after being lost for 14 years. Based on these recent records, the species appears to be doing well in miombo woodland habitats in northeastern Angola.
The news is less optimistic for Long-billed Bush Warbler (photographed above by Gurmet Stanba #avesexplorerladakh) which was moved from Near Threatened to Endangered. The warbler was rediscovered in 2022 after going missing for 55 years. It has been seen several times since, but in this case, increased knowledge of the bird has shown that its habitat in northwestern India and Pakistan is more threatened than we thought. Hopefully this new assessment can help spur conservation action.
One other change among the 2025 updates is worth noting. The Guadalupe Junco, once considered Critically Endangered, is listed Vulnerable. With this improved listing, the junco is an example of species being brought back from the brink of extinction – a huge win for bird conservation efforts in Mexico! The improved status of the junco comes thanks to habitat restoration and invasive species removal on Isla Guadalupe, off the Mexico’s west coast. While the junco was never a lost bird, Guadalupe has another endemic species which is on the lost birds list: Guadalupe Storm-Petrel, which was last documented in 1912 and is currently considered Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). Could the habitat improvements that benefited the junco offer newfound hope for the long-lost storm-petrel? It may be a long-shot but you never know.