Songbirds - Artensterben

Wiederentdeckung: Rotweber (Anaplectes jubaensis) - Foto von Simon Odhiambo

The red weaver (Anaplectes jubaensis) was last documented in 2014. Now, the first new records of the species in twelve years have come from eastern Kenya. Image: Simon Odhiambo, used with permission

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16. August 2026 Doreen Fräßdorf

Rediscovered After 12 Years: The Red Weaver Lives in Kenya’s Boni-Dodori Forest

For twelve years, there had been no confirmed record of the red weaver (Anaplectes jubaensis). Now Kenyan ornithologists have rediscovered the rare bird species in the Boni-Dodori forest complex in eastern Kenya. On July 3, 2026, James Apolloh Omenya and Simon Odhiambo first observed three bright-red males, followed later by

Female (left) and male Ghana cuckooshrikes (Lobotos lobatus) in a historical illustration. In 2026, the rare species was conclusively documented for the first time in 13 years. Images: Nicolas Huet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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28. July 2026 Doreen Fräßdorf

Two “Lost Birds” Rediscovered—in the Rainforest and in a Photo Archive

The Ghana cuckooshrike has been photographed—and even filmed—for the first time in 13 years. In the case of the Mindoro imperial pigeon, however, a previously unpublished photo was enough for the species to lose its “lost” status. Both cases show how important accessible documentation of rare species is. Within a

drei verschollene Vogelarten wiederentdeckt auf Neuirland (Bismarck-Archipel, Papua-Neuguinea)

In the remote mountain forests of New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago, an expedition confirmed the presence of three bird species that had not been documented for many years—including the New Britain sparrowhawk, last recorded in 1994. Image: Depositphotos (Kooperation)

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19. June 2026 Doreen Fräßdorf

New Ireland: Three lost bird species rediscovered

During an expedition in Papua New Guinea, four young birdwatchers made an extraordinary discovery: In just 17 days, they documented three lost bird species in the mountain forests of New Ireland that had not been reliably recorded for years or even decades—the white-naped lory (Lorius albidinucha), the New Ireland friarbird

Tokara-Laubsänger / Tokara leaf warbler (Phylloscopus tokaraensis)

A singing male Tokara leaf warbler (Phylloscopus tokaraensis). The species is restricted to a few islands of Japan's Tokara Archipelago south of Kyushu. Such island endemics often occupy only very small habitats and are therefore especially vulnerable to environmental change. Image: Per Alström, Uppsala University, CC BY, via EurekAlert!

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28. April 2026 Doreen Fräßdorf

Hidden diversity: Four newly recognized bird species from 2026

Even today, new bird species are still being discovered and described, although birds are among the comparatively well-studied animal groups. In many cases, however, these are not completely unknown animals, but species that were overlooked or misclassified for a long time. Only modern methods such as genetic analyses and bioacoustic

Der Sulu-Raupenfänger galt lange Zeit als Unterart des Bindenraupenfängers (Bild).

For a long time, the Sulu cuckooshrike (Coracina guillemardi) was treated as a subspecies of the much more widespread bar-bellied cuckooshrike (Coracina striata, shown here) because of morphological similarities. (© Coracina striata (Boddaert, 1783), Observed in Philippines by dmalerta, CC BY-NC 4.0, via GBIF)

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20. March 2026 Doreen Fräßdorf

Chance discovery in the Sulu Archipelago: Long lost cuckooshrike documented after nearly 20 years

In November 2025, the Sulu cuckooshrike (Coracina guillemardi) was documented again for the first time in almost two decades in the remote forests of Tawi-Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago in the southwest of the Philippines. The species was considered lost—not officially extinct, but without any confirmed records for years. The

rediscovery of the rusty bush lark (Calendulauda rufa)

The image shows the rusty bush lark rediscovered in early February 2026 — one of the first photographs of the species ever taken. (© Pierre Defos du Rau, Idriss Dapsia, Julien Birard)

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12. February 2026 Doreen Fräßdorf

Rediscovery in Africa: rusty bush lark documented for the first time in 94 years

Africa: A bird species that has so far been little studied and had been considered missing for almost a century has now been rediscovered. In early February 2026, the rusty bush lark (Calendulauda rufa) was recorded alive again in Chad for the first time in decades. The rusty bush lark

rediscovered in Peru: Sira barbet and Peruvian solitaire

The Sira barbet, which had not been documented for twelve years, was tracked down during an expedition in July 2024. Its striking red breast band and contrasting plumage make it an unmistakable inhabitant of Peru’s Sira Mountains. (© Michael G. Harvey/Cornell University, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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6. February 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

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

A taxidermied huia pair (female right, male left) at the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. This specimen is not up for auction. (© Dr Mirko Junge, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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15. September 2024 Doreen Fräßdorf

Taxidermied Huia Pair Expected to Fetch Up to NZ$128,000 at London Auction

A rare taxidermied pair of huia birds could fetch up to NZ$128,000 at an auction in London. Organized by Roseberys London, the auction is scheduled for October 2024. The huia pair, consisting of a male and a female, dates back to the late 19th century and is considered extremely rare.

The flightless Lyall's wren was a relatively small bird, with a total length of about ten centimeters. (© Avenue, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons)

Birds

8. September 2024 Doreen Fräßdorf

Lyall’s wren

The tragic story of Lyall’s wren Like the dodo, Lyall’s wren is one of the best-known examples of the extinction of bird species, because the circumstances of its disappearance are as striking as they are tragic. The story of Lyall’s wren is often told with dramatic simplicity: a cat, brought

Mussauraupenfänger nach 44 Jahren wiederentdeckt

The Mussau caterpillarcatcher, considered missing since 1979, was rediscovered in June 2024 on the island of Mussau in Papua New Guinea. (© Photo by Joshua Bergmark/Ornis Birding Expeditions)

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28. August 2024 Doreen Fräßdorf

Mussau Triller: Lost Bird Species Rediscovered After 44 Years

The Mussau triller (Lalage conjuncta), last documented in 1979, was rediscovered in June of this year by Australian bird photographer Joshua Bergmark during a tour with a group of birdwatchers. This songbird species, part of the cuckooshrike family, is endemic to Mussau Island, located in the Bismarck Archipelago north of