‘Lost’ bird reappears in West Africa’s forests after more than a decade

Researchers Paulo Ditzel and Stephanie Bartlett, field fellows with the International Bird Conservation Partnership, spotted and photographed the Ghana cuckooshrike in Côte d'Ivoire's Taï National Park in June, the first verified sighting since 2013. The bird, known for its orange body and copper-flecked cheeks, was seen moving through the canopy with other species before it disappeared and was not found again despite a follow-up hike. Conservationists say the sighting shows Taï's forest, though squeezed by logging, agriculture, and illegal mining and hunting, still supports the species.

The team's expedition covered four West African countries over six months, part of a broader push by the Search for Lost Birds partnership to document species unseen for a decade or more. IBCP's West Africa project manager, Yendoubouam Kourdjouak, said the rediscovery is proof the bird isn't extinct and argues for redoubled protection and monitoring in the park.

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