10 Most Wanted Lost Birds: Can You Help Scientists Find Them?

Conservation organizations are asking for aid from the international community in locating the top ten most endangered bird species. Nobody has seen these birds that have not been classed as extinct in at least a decade.

Conservationists, researchers, and even the birdwatching community are being urged to join forces searching for these missing birds from around the world by Re:Wild, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), and BirdLife International.

From Siau Scops-Owl to the Cuban Kite: 10 Birds Long Feared Extinct

These five continent-wide missing birds are not yet designated as extinct. In a press statement, Re:Wild said the causes for their disappearances range from habitat degradation and invasive species to scientists not knowing where to hunt for them.

The dusky tetraka, last seen in Madagascar in 1999, the South Island kakako, last seen in New Zealand in 2007, and Jerdon's courser, last seen in India in 2009, are among the species on the list.

The Congo's Itwombe nightjar, the Cuban kita, the Siau scops-owl, and the Santa Marta sabrewing, as well as the Philippines' Negros fruit-dove, Peru's Vilcabamba brush-finch, and India's Himalayan quail are all on the list.

All of these birds haven't been seen in at least ten years. For example, the Himalayan quail hasn't been seen since 1877, and the Siau scops-owl was last observed in Indonesia in 1866. The Negros quail and the Siau scops-owl are two birds that have only been seen once before.

Several of these species are the subject of ongoing searches, with some sightings and accounts of hearing the birds' cries being unsubstantiated.

Eight of 25 Missing Birds, Other Animals Found

The project is a follow-up to Re:Search Wild's for Lost Species initiative. Since the program's inception, eight of the top 25 missing species have been identified, as well as additional animals.

The rediscovery of the black-browed babbler, which had not been seen in over 170 years, was revealed earlier this year by Re:Wild. The group also announced this month per The Hill the finding of the Batman river loach fish in Turkey, which had been missing for nearly 50 years.

The Batman river loach was the first of the top ten most sought-after missing fish to be discovered. The current study hopes to concentrate on ten uncommon birds lost to science for at least a decade.

"We are optimistic that the Search for Lost Birds will lead to exciting rediscoveries, but ultimately it's about conservation. We know that with good conservation efforts, species can be rescued from the brink of extinction, but only if we know where the last populations are," Roger Safford, senior program manager for preventing extinctions at BirdLife International said in a statement. "We hope these expeditions will capture people's imaginations and catalyze conservation."

The birding community, in particular, may be able to assist with the search. For example, Cornell's eBird platform has 700,000 registered users who have documented over a billion bird sightings from all around the world, demonstrating the community's enormous effect.

Unfortunately, Re:Wild said none of the birds on the list were seen in any of these numerous sightings.

John C. Mittermeier, Director of Threatened Species Outreach at ABC, said per Bird Watching Daily that birdwatchers and citizen scientists from all worldwide might help experts identify and learn more about these endangered species by directly reporting sightings and information through eBird.

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