Rare Bird Seen Again After 13 Years in West African Forest

A rare bird that had not been confirmed in more than a decade has been photographed and filmed for the first time after researchers spotted it in a rainforest in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Ghana cuckooshrike was last confirmed in Ghana’s Atewa Forest in 2013. In June 2026, researchers Paulo Ditzel and Stephanie Bartlett encountered one in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, during a bird survey across West Africa.

A Brief Encounter in the Forest

The researchers were walking near an ecological research station when they noticed a brightly colored bird moving through the forest canopy.

Ditzel immediately recognized it as a Ghana cuckooshrike. Bartlett managed to photograph the bird and, for the first time, capture video footage of the species.

The bird disappeared shortly afterward, but it returned briefly and was seen catching a caterpillar before vanishing into the forest again.

A Bird That Is Difficult to Find

The Ghana cuckooshrike is known for its striking orange, yellow and black coloring, but it can be difficult to observe because it often stays high in the forest canopy.

Its known range includes parts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Researchers say logging and agricultural expansion have reduced and fragmented much of the forest habitat across the region.

First Video Ever Recorded

The photographs taken by the researchers are believed to be the best recent images of the species, while the footage represents the first known video recording of a Ghana cuckooshrike.

The discovery is part of the Search for Lost Birds initiative, which works to find bird species that have not been confirmed by science for at least a decade.

Researchers say sightings like this can help scientists understand where rare species survive and identify forests that remain important for wildlife.

More Searching Ahead

The research team plans to continue fieldwork in West Africa. Scientists say there are still many poorly documented bird species in the region, meaning further surveys could reveal more about wildlife that has remained hidden for years.

For the Ghana cuckooshrike, the brief encounter in Taï National Park has removed it from the list of birds that had disappeared from confirmed records for more than a decade.

Sources

• Mongabay — “’Lost’ bird reappears in West Africa’s forests after more than a decade” — September 24, 2026
• International Bird Conservation Partnership — “Gorgeous Lost Bird Species, The Ghana Cuckooshrike, Rediscovered In The Forests Of Cote d’Ivoire And Filmed For The First Time Ever” — September 29, 2026