Two lost birds rediscovered in Peru: Sira barbet and Peruvian solitaire

The Search for Lost Birds project has set itself the task of tracking down “lost” bird species that have not been documented in the wild for more than a decade. These species—without recent genetic or photographic evidence and without ex situ populations—are often considered lost to science. According to a recent report from the Search for Lost Birds project, a major success was achieved in the summer of 2024: during an expedition by the NGO GECO Nature, the Sira barbet (Capito fitzpatricki) and the Peruvian solitaire (Cichlopsis peruviana) were rediscovered in southeastern Peru—two species last seen in 2013.

Sira Mountains: a hard-to-reach habitat

The Cordillera de Sira, an isolated mountain massif in central Peru, is characterized by steep slopes, dense vegetation, and remoteness that makes access extremely difficult. While the northern part of the range was studied ornithologically in the 1960s and again in 2013, the southern regions remained unexplored for a long time. It was only in 2008 that scientists managed to reach this hard-to-access area and document the Sira barbet for science for the first time.

The last confirmed sightings of the Sira barbet and the Peruvian solitaire date to October 2013. Since then, there had been no evidence at all—especially for the Sira barbet, which was no longer listed on platforms such as eBird or other citizen-science databases. This prolonged absence of observations raised fears that the species might have gone extinct.

In July 2024, a team from the NGO GECO Nature launched a new expedition into the Sira Mountains to specifically survey regions not covered in 2008. The team consisted of an ornithologist, two chiropterologists, and herpetologist Jasmín Odar from the Instituto Peruano de Herpetología (IPH). Their mission: to explore a poorly studied area within the habitat of the Sira barbet and other threatened species.

The rediscovery of the Sira barbet

The expedition’s most significant find was the rediscovery of the Sira barbet: on the very first day of surveys, three individuals were observed at an elevation of 1,750 meters—an unexpected discovery, as this is well above the previously known range limit of 950 to 1,250 meters. Using cautious sound playback, the team documented a total of five birds. Herpetologist Jasmín Odar provided the only photographic documentation of the rare bird.

The Sira barbet, a member of the American barbets family (Capitonidae), was only scientifically described in 2012. Its distribution is restricted to the humid montane forests on the eastern slopes of the southern Cordillera de Sira. The species feeds mainly on fruit and occasionally on insects. Because of its small range and the low number of documented individuals, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Sira barbet as “Near Threatened”. Although its habitat has so far been relatively intact, it could be threatened in the long term by deforestation and climate change.

Challenges with the local community

Originally, the plan was to revisit the site to carry out more detailed studies on the ecology of the Sira barbet. However, it became apparent that some members of the local Asheninka community had reservations about the presence of external researchers. As an Indigenous community, the Asheninka manage their land independently and decide how it is used. Out of respect for their position, the expedition team refrained from continuing surveys at this location. In addition, the exact site was deliberately not published on platforms such as eBird in order to avoid potential disturbance to the habitat.

To enable sustainable cooperation, the Peruvian NGO CORBIDI plans to hold discussions with the community in the first half of 2025. The aim is to explore possible paths for future research and monitoring projects that serve both scientific knowledge and the interests of local people.

The second find: the Peruvian solitaire

After the expedition in the south of the Cordillera de Sira was cut short, the team decided to travel to the northern part of the range—an area that had already been studied in the 1960s by the American ornithologist John Terborgh. Thanks to support from Peru’s environment ministry (SERNANP) and the local conservation organization ECOSIRA, the team was able to gain access without difficulty.

In August 2024, another important discovery followed: two Peruvian solitaires were observed and their characteristic calls were documented acoustically. This shy thrush species can be recognized by its ochre-colored throat and inconspicuous brown plumage. Because it is so rarely seen, it was considered lost and had last been reliably documented in 2013.

The Peruvian solitaire is endemic to the cloud forests of the eastern Andean foothills of Peru and inhabits elevations between 1,000 and 2,000 meters. It likely feeds on insects and fruit, but little is known so far about its behavior and breeding. Due to its highly restricted range and ongoing deforestation of its habitat, the IUCN classifies it as “Near Threatened”.

More rare bird species recorded

In addition to rediscovering the Sira barbet and the Peruvian solitaire, the expedition also brought to light many other rare bird species—or species not previously recorded in this range. These include the uniform crake (Amaurolimnas concolor), the Peruvian recurvebill (Syndactyla ucayalae), the extremely rare Sira tanager (Stilpnia phillipsi), first discovered in 1969, as well as the plain-backed antpitta (Grallaria haplonota).

Particularly significant was the sighting of the endangered Sira curassow (Pauxi koepckeae), whose habitat is limited to the slopes of the Sira Mountains in eastern Peru. According to the IUCN, fewer than 250 mature individuals of this species exist, making it one of the rarest bird species in the world.

These discoveries provide valuable new insights into the distribution and status of threatened species. They also underscore how crucial targeted expeditions into hard-to-reach regions are for conservation. The rediscoveries not only confirm that these species still exist, but also offer important clues about their habitats and the threats they face. Future expeditions—in close coordination with local communities—will play a key role in developing effective protection measures and ensuring the long-term survival of these unique species.