A group of Indian bird enthusiasts and researchers successfully recorded the bird call of a previously thought-extinct bird species, Bird Guides reported.
The Jerdon's Courser, a critically endangered nocturnal bird endemic to scrublands in Andhra Pradesh, India, had not been observed in over two decades but has now been rediscovered in a new location.
According to Bird Life International, bird enthusiast Harish Thangaraj became determined to find the "ghost" bird species after reading a description of the last known sighting of the bird in 2004. The species had been rediscovered and lost again multiple times over since its discovery in 1848, earning its "ghost" status for its habit of disappearing.
The Jerdon's Courser species is threatened by habitat destruction, such as the building of the Telugu-Ganga Canal, which will cross through critical Jerdon's Courser natural habitats. This will diminish already dwindling Jerdon's Courser populations.
Although the exact population size of the Jerdon's Courser species is unknown, bird experts estimate it to be as few as 50 individuals, according to Bird Guides.
Bird watchers often discussed how rare it would be to spot the bird today.
"My dream bird in India," Thangaraj recalled as he reflected back on the process of finding the bird, according to his birding blog. His passion for the Jerdon's Courser garnered support from like-minded bird watchers.
Thangaraj teamed up with Adesh Shivkar, founder of Nature India Tours, who also found the challenge of searching for the bird exciting. Plenty of discovery calls and research, and about two weeks of prepping for the field, allowed the duo, joined later by additional birders, Ronith Urs, Shashank Dalvi, and Pranav, to pinpoint ideal locations where the bird might be found.
The researchers discovered that the Jerdon's Courser species was not limited to the Lankamalla Hills, where the species was last observed in 2009. Thangraj chose the most promising location to scout — an area away from the Lankamalla Hills — where the team later heard and recorded the rare bird's call.
The researchers were thrilled to find the bird in an area away from where the species was thought to have inhabited.
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"This shows the bird is not confined to a single patch of land … it offers hope," one team member said, according to Bird Guides.
About a year ago, over a hundred trail cameras were set up to document the Jerdon's Courser bird species, which will hopefully capture visual evidence of the species soon.
Trail cameras are powerful tools for scientists to gauge the population health or observe the behavior of certain wildlife species while being minimally invasive. These cameras have recorded successful conservation efforts, seeing population increases for species like African leopards and wild dogs, and observing wildlife intelligence in Colorado deer and elk.
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Often 😇 Trail camera data can inform conservation strategies, which protect wildlife biodiversity and contribute to a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
"That is brilliant news," one user commented under the Bird Guides report.
"With a population estimated to be only 50 birds and confined to only about 1,000 hectares, this is a hugely encouraging rediscovery. Amazing," another commenter wrote.
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