The kalivikodi bird went undocumented in the wild for decades, until researchers captured proof of its existence through extensive audio monitoring and trail camera footage.
As ETV Bharat and Earth.com reported, forest officials confirmed that the rare bird, which was first recorded in 1848 in India's Penna River Basin, was rediscovered in the YSR Kadapa district after years of effort and about $5.63 million invested into research, sanctuary creation, and fieldwork.
The rediscovery, sparked by an audio recording of the bird's call on Aug. 24, according to Earth.com, sends a hopeful message to conservationists and communities working to restore fragile ecosystems.
Part of the financial investment went toward a 3,000-acre Malleshwara Sanctuary, a protected reserve dedicated to confirming and safeguarding the kalivikodi population, according to ETV Bharat.
Researchers from Sri Venkateswara University and the Bombay Natural History Society documented the bird's footprints and bird call in the early 2000s before recording it again in 2025.
Forest officials said the kalivikodi — sometimes spelled as two words, kalivi kodi, and also known as the Jerdon's courser — generally does not fly, preferring to run, and it nests by laying its eggs among small pebbles. The bird is nocturnal and has a call that is audible up to 200 meters away, which helped scientists identify it in the Kadapa forests.
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"Measuring about 27 centimeters in length, the Kalivikodi is unlike most birds," they said, per ETV Bharat. "It cannot fly and instead thrives in dense thorny bushes." Other sources say the bird is capable of flight but rarely does so even when threatened.
Rediscovering wildlife previously thought to be extinct through trail microphones and cameras demonstrates how modern technology aids researchers in monitoring conservation efforts.
For example, a conservation photographer in Papua New Guinea documented a New Britain goshawk that hadn't been documented in 55 years. In Colorado, a trail camera caught an endangered Lynx thanks to Colorado Parks and Wildlife reintroduction efforts.
These examples help further conservation efforts because the more we see these animals and what we have to lose, the more passionate we can be about protecting them.
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Trail cameras help preserve and monitor sanctuaries for wildlife. The United Nations has warned that biodiversity loss directly affects human well-being and global food security. Therefore, protecting wildlife restores ecosystems and secures resources for both humans and wildlife.
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