Rediscoveries in 2025: These animal species were considered lost or extinct

Species do not simply disappear just because no one has seen them for a long time. And they are just as little “saved” just because they suddenly reappear. Rediscoveries mark a narrow line between hope and uncertainty: they show that life can endure – often, however, only barely.

In 2025, too, numerous animal species were rediscovered – some without any confirmed records for decades, others already considered extinct. Their disappearance was rarely a sudden event, but rather the result of gradual processes: habitat loss, missing surveys, or simply a lack of attention.

Most rediscoveries were not accidental. Targeted search campaigns, tips from local communities, new genetic methods, or acoustic monitoring led researchers into remote mountain forests, isolated river systems, islands, or gorges – habitats that had long been scarcely studied. Some species were found before 2025, but their rediscovery was only officially announced in 2025 after careful verification and analysis.

What does “rediscovery” mean?

Rediscovered species are those that had not been clearly documented for long periods – often for decades, sometimes even for centuries. They were considered missing, lost, or lost species, without always being formally classified as extinct. Often, reliable evidence such as confirmed sightings, photographs, sound recordings, or genetic material was lacking. The reasons vary widely: inaccessible habitats, extremely small populations, or an inconspicuous appearance. In many cases, no one had carried out targeted searches for a very long time.

Rediscovered animal species – selected finds made public in 2025

The following species portraits show just how different rediscoveries can be.

Sonnerat’s Shrew – back after more than 200 years?

Diplomesodon sonnerati
Last confirmed record: 1813 (historic description and sketch by Pierre Sonnerat)
Location of the possible rediscovery: Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: moist grasslands, forest edges, and agricultural landscapes in southern India
Distinctive feature: striking sexual dimorphism, white transverse band – a globally unique coat pattern among shrews

Sonnerat’s Shrew is considered one of Asia’s most enigmatic mammals. For more than 200 years it was known only from a historic sketch and description, with no later evidence and not a single museum specimen. For a long time, it was therefore suspected that the animal was either a misdescription or an already extinct species.

An animal photographed in 2022 in the Nilgiri Hills now provides the first plausible indication that the species may still exist. Genetic confirmation is still pending.

Missing for 133 years: the cave tarantula Orphnaecus pellitus

Last confirmed record: 1892
Location of rediscovery: Culapnitan Cave System, Philippines
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: aphotic zones of tropical limestone caves
Distinctive feature: the only known troglobiont tarantula in Asia; endemic, so far known only from a single cave system

After more than 130 years without records, O. pellitus was rediscovered in 2025 exactly where it had first been described in 1892. All individuals were found exclusively in completely dark, interconnected cave sections. Tiny eyes, elongated legs, and a pale body coloration demonstrate its full adaptation to life without light.

This extreme specialization, however, makes the species highly vulnerable. Because its entire known range is limited to a single cave system, disturbance from tourism, cave development, or groundwater pollution could have immediate consequences for the survival of this tarantula.

Alsodes vittatus: frog species rediscovered after 130 years

Last confirmed record: 1893
Location of rediscovery: Región de La Araucanía, Chile
IUCN status: data deficient
Habitat: temperate Andean forests along clear-running streams
Distinctive feature: long known only from the original description (1902)

For more than a century, A. vittatus was considered missing. Only in 2023 and 2024 did a research team succeed in rediscovering the species in the foothills of the Chilean Andes. The decisive factor was a look into old records: historical hints about the route of the original collection led researchers to places that had barely been surveyed.

The rediscovery shows that even amphibian species that seem to have vanished can survive in remote refuges. How large and stable their populations are today still needs to be investigated.

Back after 124 years: longhorn beetle Pseudomyrmecion ramalium

Last confirmed record: ca. 1900
Location of rediscovery: Djebel Edough Forest & Yakouren Forest, northern Algeria
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: Mediterranean oak forests, under dead wood
Distinctive feature: extremely rare endemic species, tied to Algerian oak (Quercus canariensis)

For more than 120 years, P. ramalium was considered missing. In spring 2023 the longhorn beetle was recorded again in northern Algerian oak forests – exactly where it had last been observed around 1900.

The rediscovery confirms the survival of a highly specialized relict species, but also highlights its vulnerability: the remaining oak forests are severely threatened by fires, forest damage, and use pressure. For a beetle that depends on dead wood and has few alternatives, any further habitat loss could mean the final end.

Confirmed after more than 120 years: a subspecies of the White-naped Whistler

Pachycephala arctitorquis tianduana
Last confirmed record: 1901/1902
Location of rediscovery: Tayandu Archipelago (Moluccas, Indonesia)
IUCN status: not assessed (subspecies)
Habitat: gardens, secondary forests, and remaining forest fragments on small islands
Distinctive feature: previously only five museum specimens; striking differences in plumage and song

In July 2025, the long-lost subspecies of the White-naped Whistler was documented for the first time in more than a century. On the Tayandu Islands, several individuals were photographed and, for the first time, also recorded acoustically.

The discovery of P. a. tianduana also raises new questions: recent genetic analyses suggest that the Tayandu birds originated through hybridization; the population carries its genetic material in nearly equal parts from the White-naped and the Moluccan Whistler. It may therefore not be a subspecies at all, but a previously unrecognized distinct species.

Omilteme Cottontail: 120 years without records

Sylvilagus insonus
Last confirmed record: early 20th century
Location of rediscovery: Sierra Madre del Sur, Guerrero (Mexico)
IUCN status: data deficient
Habitat: cloud forests as well as pine and pine-oak forests (2,100–3,000 m)
Distinctive feature: range smaller than 500 km²

After more than 120 years without confirmed records, the Omilteme Cottontail was rediscovered through targeted search campaigns. A research team confirmed the extremely rare species in several areas of the Sierra Madre del Sur using local tips, photographic evidence, and specimens.

The rediscovery is not a reason for all-clear; it confirms the survival of one of the world’s rarest rabbits, but also shows how fragile its existence is: the known population is small and strongly fragmented, while poaching and ongoing habitat loss remain serious threats.

Rediscovered after 111 years – the Himalayan velvet worm

Typhloperipatus williamsoni
Last confirmed record: 1913
Location of rediscovery: Siang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh (Northeast India)
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: moist, undisturbed forest floors in remote mountain forests
Distinctive feature: representative of an animal lineage more than 500 million years old

After 111 years, the Himalayan velvet worm was rediscovered in the eastern Himalayas – only a few kilometers from the historical collection site. Two living specimens show that this ancient group has persisted in isolated refuges to the present day.

Yet its survival is threatened: deforestation, infrastructure projects, and climate change endanger the moist microhabitats velvet worms depend on. Even small changes can cause local populations to disappear. The rediscovery therefore highlights the exceptional conservation value of remaining primary forests in the eastern Himalayas.

“Lost” for 94 years – the Golden-ringed Goby Brachygobius sua

Last confirmed record: 1931
Location of rediscovery: canal near the Mae Klong River, central Thailand
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: slow-flowing freshwater canals and river arms
Distinctive feature: known for decades only from a drawing; type specimen missing

For almost 100 years, B. sua was considered lost. In 2025 the tiny goby – only two to three centimeters long – resurfaced unexpectedly after a teenager photographed its striking pattern and shared it online. Experts recognized it as the species described in 1931, from which no original voucher specimen had been preserved.

Because comparative material was missing, B. sua was long treated as identical to B. xanthozonus. Only the rediscovery of living fish from the historical range enabled a direct comparison – revealing clear differences in body shape and patterning. The earlier synonymy is now considered outdated, even though a formal taxonomic reassessment is still pending.

Biak Myzomela photographed for the first time after 88 years

Myzomela rubrobrunnea
Last confirmed documentation: 1937
Region: Oceania (endemic to Biak and Supiori, Indonesia)
IUCN status: least concern
Habitat: lowland and hill forests, forest edges, secondary vegetation; mostly in the canopy
Distinctive feature: frequently reported for decades, but without photo or audio evidence

The Biak Myzomela is small, inconspicuous, and usually lives high in the canopy – ideal conditions for going unnoticed for decades. Adding to this, it was long treated as a subspecies of the widespread Dusky Myzomela (M. obscura). As a result, despite many sight reports, no definitive evidence existed for nearly 90 years.

That changed in August 2025: Ethan Skinner posted a photo of the species on eBird, and the Biak Myzomela was officially removed from the “Lost Birds” list. Ironically, photos already existed from 2004, taken by Mehd Halaouate on Biak – but they were overlooked because the bird was not yet recognized as a distinct species at the time.

Channa amphibeus – snakehead fish back after more than 85 years

Last confirmed record: 1938
Location of rediscovery: Chel River, Kalimpong (North Bengal, India)
IUCN status: least concern
Habitat: cool mountain streams in the Brahmaputra drainage
Distinctive feature: one of the largest snakeheads (up to 1 m); obligate air-breather

In 2024, C. amphibeus was rediscovered in the Chel River after more than 85 years. Several specimens were collected and photographed – supported by information from local communities. Comparison with historical descriptions confirmed the identity of the species.

The rediscovery provides the first images of living animals and opens new possibilities for genetic and ecological research. At the same time, it highlights how little is known about the population size and threats facing this fish – and how urgently its habitat needs closer study and protection.

Damselfly Mortonagrion amoenum rediscovered after 84 years

Last confirmed record: 1937
Location of rediscovery: Simeuluë (Sumatra, Indonesia)
IUCN status: endangered
Habitat: forest areas with small streams and marshy banks
Distinctive feature: extremely rare endemic damselfly

In July 2021, M. amoenum was documented again for the first time after more than eight decades. During a biodiversity survey on the remote island of Simeuluë, researchers photographed several individuals along moist forest streams – the first confirmed record since 1937. The scientific analysis was published in 2025.

That the species remained undetected for so long is not only due to its elusive lifestyle, but also to the loss of suitable habitats. Deforestation, polluted waters, and destroyed wetlands are severely affecting many small damselflies in Indonesia. Yet the rediscovery also shows that specialized species can persist in poorly studied refuges – often unnoticed for generations.

Vilcabamba Inca – first sighting after 57 years

Coeligena eisenmanni
Last confirmed record: 1967
Location of rediscovery: Vilcabamba Mountains, Cusco Region (Peru)
IUCN status: least concern
Habitat: Andean cloud forests (approx. 1,600–3,000 m)
Distinctive feature: for decades known only from a few museum specimens

In August 2024, the first confirmed documentation in 57 years of the Vilcabamba Inca succeeded. In the hard-to-reach cloud forests of the Vilcabamba Mountains, the hummingbird was photographed and filmed – a remarkable find, as the species had previously been known only from a handful of museum specimens and had been considered missing for decades.

The rediscovery confirms that this extremely rare and geographically isolated hummingbird still exists. But it also shows how little is known about its true distribution, population size, and ecological role. For the first time in decades, there is now a solid basis for further fieldwork and for a potential reassessment of its conservation status.

After 55 years: the Turkestan Long-eared Bat rediscovered

Plecotus turkmenicus
Last confirmed record: 1970
Location of rediscovery: Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan (near the border with Uzbekistan)
IUCN status: least concern
Habitat: arid deserts and semi-deserts, rock crevices, loess caves, wells
Distinctive feature: first photo, video, and genome data from living animals

In October 2025, living Turkestan long-eared bats were documented again for the first time in more than half a century. An international team recorded a juvenile and an adult male at two separate sites in the Karakum Desert. This is the first confirmed proof that this extremely rare bat, adapted to arid habitats, still exists – previously it was known only from a few museum specimens.

Despite this positive news, the situation remains critical. Ongoing climate change is driving increasing heat and further drying of the region. As vegetation declines, the already limited habitat of the Turkestan Long-eared Bat shrinks further – a development that could threaten the species’ long-term survival.

Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard: first record after 53 years

Nucras caesicaudata
Last confirmed record: early 1970s
Location of rediscovery: Banhine National Park, southern Mozambique
IUCN status: data deficient
Habitat: dry savanna and sandveld landscapes
Distinctive feature: striking bluish tail

In December 2025, the Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard was conclusively documented again for the first time in more than five decades. In Banhine National Park, researchers were able to record one individual during targeted biodiversity surveys. Shortly before that, another animal had been observed in the neighboring Zinave National Park, but without photographic evidence.

The rediscovery shows that the species is not extinct, but apparently remained undetected for decades – likely also because no systematic searches took place in the region. The find also expands the lizard’s known range. Future surveys will now have to clarify how large the population really is and what level of protection this reptile requires.

Sailfin Smoothhound – undocumented for more than 50 years

Gogolia filewoodi
Last confirmed record: 1970
Location of rediscovery: Astrolabe Bay, near the mouth of the Gogol River (Papua New Guinea)
IUCN status: data deficient
Habitat: nearshore depth channels on the continental shelf (approx. 80–200 m)
Distinctive feature: the only species in its genus, with an unusually long dorsal fin and large, elliptical eyes

After more than 50 years without records, the Sailfin Smoothhound resurfaced unexpectedly between 2020 and 2022. A total of six individuals were recorded as bycatch off Papua New Guinea – the first confirmed records since the original description, including the first male ever documented. The finds come from the WWF’s systematic landing-site and market surveys.

Because all known records come from a very small stretch of coast and the shark regularly ends up as bycatch, it is considered particularly at risk. Targeted monitoring is urgently needed to secure the future of the Sailfin Smoothhound.

Grasshopper Appalachia hebardi back after more than 40 years

Last confirmed record: 1960s / 1983
Location of rediscovery: Virginia, later also West Virginia and Pennsylvania (USA)
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: ground-level layers of young forest stages
Distinctive feature: flightless, low reproductive rate, extremely small range

After decades of apparent disappearance, A. hebardi unexpectedly reappeared from 2021 onward. The first hint came from a chance observation on the platform iNaturalist. Targeted follow-up work confirmed the species’ persistence in Virginia in 2022; further records followed in neighboring states.

The rediscovery of this grasshopper, once thought extinct, shows how easily small, inconspicuous insects can slip out of scientific view. It also underscores the importance of citizen science and targeted habitat surveys – especially for low-mobility species that can survive unnoticed for decades.

Monte Gordo Grasshopper: missing for more than 40 years

Eyprepocprifas insularis
Last confirmed record: 1980
Location of rediscovery: Monte Gordo Natural Park, São Nicolau Island (Cape Verde)
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: humid, fog-prone mountain zones (approx. 650–1,100 m)
Distinctive feature: the only endemic grasshopper species of Cape Verde; flightless

After having been considered extinct since 1996, the Monte Gordo Grasshopper was rediscovered unexpectedly in January 2023. Dutch entomologists found multiple individuals at six sites in the cloud forest of Monte Gordo Natural Park – including, for the first time, females and juveniles. The results were published scientifically in 2025.

Despite the rediscovery, the situation remains critical: the species depends on humid microhabitats and is considered highly threatened due to its small population. Targeted monitoring and strict protection of its remaining habitats are therefore essential.

Cichlid Haplochromis microdon: resurfaced after nearly 40 years

Last confirmed record: 1985
Location of rediscovery: Mwanza Gulf, Lake Victoria (Tanzania)
IUCN status: critically endangered (possibly extinct)
Habitat: rocky shallow-water zones of Lake Victoria
Distinctive feature: specialized predator of fish fry (paedophage)

For almost four decades, there was no trace of this unusually specialized fish. Only in 2023 and 2024 did researchers succeed in confirming H. microdon again during targeted surveys in the southern Mwanza Gulf. At just one single, tightly restricted site, two male individuals were found – exactly where the species had failed to appear for decades despite intensive research.

The rediscovery raises hope that not only H. microdon but also other members of Lake Victoria’s once extraordinarily diverse cichlid fauna may have survived in isolated refuges. Even so, invasive species, overfishing, and profound environmental change continue to place heavy pressure on the Lake Victoria ecosystem.

Back after 34 years: the Blyde River Flat Gecko

Afroedura rondavelica
Last confirmed record: 1991
Location of rediscovery: Blyde River Canyon, Mpumalanga (South Africa)
IUCN status: data deficient
Habitat: steep sandstone walls and narrow rock crevices
Distinctive feature: extremely small range on the steep sandstone cliffs of the Three Rondavels

In April 2025, a confirmed record of the Blyde River Flat Gecko was obtained for the first time in 34 years – at the very place where the species had been discovered in 1991 and scientifically described. During a targeted expedition in difficult rocky terrain, researchers found between 20 and 30 individuals and documented several animals photographically and scientifically.

Before the rediscovery, this long-mysterious gecko was known only from two museum specimens. It shows that even extremely local species can persist unnoticed for decades in isolated refuges.

Greater Chestnut Weevil returns after 25 years

Curculio caryatrypes
Last confirmed record: 1997
Location of rediscovery: eastern USA (incl. Virginia, Pennsylvania)
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: chestnut stands; seeds of the beech family
Distinctive feature: highly specialized seed pest

After the American chestnut nearly vanished due to introduced fungal diseases, its specialized associate – the Greater Chestnut Weevil – was considered extinct for about 25 years. Only photos from hybrid chestnut plantings and from chinquapin stands shared on iNaturalist drew researchers’ attention to surviving populations.

Genetic analyses ultimately confirmed the species’ identity and showed that it is still reproducing. The rediscovery disproves the long-assumed coextinction and demonstrates that even highly specialized insects can persist in small refuges – a strong argument for resistant chestnut programs and for the growing importance of citizen science in conservation.

Rediscovered after almost 25 years: large-polyp stony coral

Rhizopsammia wellingtoni
Last confirmed record: 2000
Location of rediscovery: Galápagos Archipelago (Isabela & Fernandina, Ecuador)
IUCN status: critically endangered (possibly extinct)
Habitat: rocky reef slopes and drop-offs at 12–30 m depth, sometimes much deeper
Distinctive feature: solitary coral with striking violet coloration

In January 2024, the large-polyp stony coral was confirmed alive again for the first time in more than two decades. During targeted dive expeditions, researchers discovered several colonies in the western Galápagos and documented the species comprehensively for the first time, both photographically and genetically.

After the steep decline following the El Niño event of 1982/83, the coral was long considered gone. Today, it is thought to have persisted in deeper, cooler, or more sheltered reef areas – underwater robots even confirmed occurrences at depths of more than 100 meters. Despite the rediscovery, its future remains uncertain: the few, isolated populations show how vulnerable coral reefs are under climate change, and how essential long-term monitoring and consistent climate action remain.

Killifish Moema claudiae back after 22 years

Last confirmed record: 2003
Location of rediscovery: lowland region Santa Cruz / Beni, Bolivia
IUCN status: critically endangered (possibly extinct)
Habitat: temporary blackwater pools in seasonally flooded forest remnants
Distinctive feature: seasonal killifish whose eggs survive dry periods in the soil

In spring 2024, M. claudiae resurfaced unexpectedly after more than two decades. The species survived in a single, shallow rainy-season pool – a last remnant within a strongly fragmented forest area, surrounded by intensive agriculture.

Deforestation, agricultural expansion, and changing rainfall patterns are hitting exactly the habitats this killifish depends on. If the small seasonal pools disappear or dry out too early, M. claudiae disappears with them.

Jerdon’s Courser – confirmed again after 21 years

Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
Last confirmed record: 2004 (photo) / 2009 (sighting report)
Location of rediscovery: Lankamalla Hills, Andhra Pradesh (India)
IUCN status: critically endangered
Estimated population: 50 to 249 mature individuals
Habitat: open, rocky dry scrub landscapes
Distinctive feature: shy, nocturnal, long legs and large eyes

For more than a century, Jerdon’s Courser has repeatedly slipped out of researchers’ view. After a few sightings in the 19th century, the species was at times already considered extinct from around 1900 onward.

In August 2025, a confirmed record finally succeeded again. Researchers recorded its unmistakable call in the Lankamalla Hills – an acoustic proof that the extremely rare bird still persists in the fragmented dry scrub habitats of southeastern India. But its situation is critical: ongoing loss and destruction of its very limited habitat continue to put the small remnant population under severe pressure.

Barbados Threadsnake: documented again after almost 20 years

Tetracheilostoma carlae
Last confirmed record: approx. 2006
Location of rediscovery: central Barbados
IUCN status: critically endangered
Habitat: remaining forest fragments and moist gullies
Distinctive feature: the smallest known snake species in the world (9–10 cm long, under 1 g)

In March 2025, the Barbados Threadsnake was documented again for the first time. Researchers from the Barbadian Ministry of the Environment and Re:wild found a single specimen under an overgrown rock in one of the last suitable forest remnants on the island. Only microscopic examination confirmed that it was not the similar-looking but larger invasive flowerpot snake.

The Barbados Threadsnake occurs only on Barbados; its current habitat covers less than ten square kilometers. Its rediscovery shows how vulnerable island endemics are – and how easily they are pushed to the brink by habitat loss and invasive species.

Mayfly Behningia baei rediscovered after 18 years

Last confirmed record: 2006
Location of rediscovery: Mae Chaem River, northern Thailand
IUCN status: not assessed
Habitat: oxygen-rich running waters with stable fine sand
Distinctive feature: extremely rarely recorded; adults live only a few hours

In December 2024, B. baei was documented again for the first time in almost two decades. Researchers retrieved two sand-colored larvae from the riverbed and identified them unambiguously. The find suggests that the species may be more widespread than previously assumed, but escapes detection because of its hidden lifestyle.

The mayfly B. baei is considered particularly sensitive to disturbance. River straightening, dams, sand extraction, pollution, and oxygen depletion can cause even minor changes in the sediment – with potentially fatal consequences for local populations.

Cinnamon-chested Blue Flycatcher: confirmed again after 17 years

Cyornis camarinensis
Last confirmed record: 2008
Location of rediscovery: southeastern Luzon, Philippines
IUCN status: potentially threatened
Habitat: understory of humid lowland forests
Distinctive feature: a secretive forest bird that was likely overlooked for a long time because it lives in dense undergrowth

In March 2025, the Cinnamon-chested Blue Flycatcher was confirmed again for the first time in 17 years. Bird expert Martin Kennewell tracked it down by playing the song of a closely related species. In a remote lowland forest on Luzon, he succeeded in photographing a male – also the first confirmed photo of the species in the wild.

The find shows that this rare, endemic bird still survives in small forest refuges. Its population remains highly at risk: logging and increasing fragmentation of lowland forests continue to put heavy pressure on the remaining populations. The rediscovery therefore underlines the value of targeted search campaigns and the urgent protection of the last intact forest remnants.

Documented again after 14 years – Black-tailed Cisticola

Cisticola melanurus
Last confirmed record: 2010
Location of rediscovery: northeastern Angola
IUCN status: least concern
Habitat: miombo dry woodlands
Distinctive feature: extremely rarely recorded despite a wider range (northeastern Angola and southern DR Congo)

In February 2024, the Black-tailed Cisticola was documented again for the first time in 14 years. Ornithologist Michael Mills confirmed the species at the same location where it had last been photographed and recorded acoustically in 2010.

The rediscovery confirms the survival of this poorly studied bird. Its apparent rarity may reflect not only population size but also the difficult accessibility of its habitat. As deforestation and use of miombo woodlands increasingly threaten the species’ habitat, further surveys will be needed.

In 2025, the rediscovery of the Black-lored Waxbill (Estrilda nigriloris) in the DR Congo was also announced – the bird had been missing for around 70 years.

Bismarck Kingfisher: first record after 13 years

Ceyx websteri
Last confirmed record: 2012
Location of rediscovery: New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea)
IUCN status: vulnerable
Habitat: small, slow-flowing rivers and streams in lowland forests
Distinctive feature: kingfisher with very low detection rates that can be overlooked even within its range

In May 2025, a confirmed record of the Bismarck Kingfisher succeeded again for the first time. During a targeted expedition to search for lost bird species, an adult male was photographed along a narrow, forested stream on New Ireland. This provides the first clear evidence in more than a decade that this poorly studied kingfisher still exists.

The Bismarck Kingfisher is considered inconspicuous and difficult to detect: it lives hidden along shaded streams and shows low flight activity. At the same time, its habitat is under heavy pressure. Logging, road building, and the degradation of small waterways threaten the few known sites.

Sira Barbet back after 11 years

Capito fitzpatricki
Last confirmed record: 2013
Location of rediscovery: Cordillera de Sira, southeastern Peru
IUCN status: potentially threatened
Habitat: humid mountain and cloud forests at about 950–1,750 m
Distinctive feature: described shortly before vanishing (2012), poorly studied and extremely localized

In summer 2024, the Sira Barbet was rediscovered during a targeted expedition in the remote cloud forests of the Cordillera de Sira. After more than a decade without confirmed sightings, several individuals were seen, heard, and photographed – partly at higher elevations than previously known.

Despite the success, the species remains extremely rare and restricted to a very small area. It likely survives as a small, isolated population. The rediscovery highlights both the importance of targeted fieldwork in hard-to-reach regions and the vulnerability of such endemic species. During the same expedition, the Peruvian Thrush (Cichlopsis peruviana) was also documented again for the first time in years.

Broad-billed Fairywren documented again after 11 years

Chenorhamphus grayi
Last confirmed record: 2014
Location of rediscovery: mountain forests of West Papua, Indonesia
IUCN status: least concern
Habitat: mountain forests and shrubby forest edges of New Guinea
Distinctive feature: very rarely documented; despite stable status, no confirmed records for years

After eleven years without a confirmed observation, the Broad-billed Fairywren was documented again for the first time in March 2025. Ornithologist and birdwatcher Daniel Hoops detected the species first by sound: its quiet, characteristic song revealed the presence of this rarely seen bird. Shortly afterward, audio recordings and photographic evidence were obtained.

With this record, the Broad-billed Fairywren was officially removed from the list of Lost Birds. Although it is not considered threatened, its disappearance from the scientific record shows how easily even “stable” bird species can go unnoticed for years in remote, hard-to-access regions.

Why are rediscoveries important?

The rediscovery of a species is not a sign that the all-clear can be given. In most cases, little has changed in terms of threats. Rather, such finds reveal how fragile the last refuges of many species have become – and how easily animals can disappear from scientific attention for a long time.

A rediscovery therefore primarily means one thing: new, reliable knowledge. A species’ status shifts from possibly still present to currently confirmed. What that means for its future is another question. Many of the species presented here remain highly threatened; their habitats are fragmented, their populations are small or unknown.

That is precisely why rediscoveries matter. They show where major knowledge gaps exist, where little research has been conducted, and which groups are easily overlooked. At the same time, they create the foundation for targeted species and habitat protection – because only what is known can be protected. That applies to newly discovered species as well.

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