Ghana Cuckooshrike Rediscovered in Côte d'Ivoire
Researchers photographed the bird in Taï National Park after 13 years without a verified sighting.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Bird Watching
Researchers photographed the Ghana cuckooshrike in Côte d'Ivoire's Taï National Park, ending a 13-year gap without verified sightings of the species. The bird was last documented in 2013 in Ghana's Atewa Forest.
Why it matters
The Ghana cuckooshrike's likely habitat has been reduced by logging and agriculture, making the rediscovery a key data point for understanding the species' survival. The find also highlights the value of targeted fieldwork in areas where a species was presumed lost.
The sighting ends a gap of 13 years with no verified records of the Ghana cuckooshrike (Lobotos lobatus), last documented in 2013 in Atewa Forest, Ghana. The source does not report how many individuals were seen or how large the population may be.
The players
International Bird Conservation Partnership
An organization that coordinates bird conservation research and fieldwork across regions, which organized the expedition that located the bird.
Stephanie Bartlett
A field research fellow with the International Bird Conservation Partnership who photographed the Ghana cuckooshrike in Taï National Park.
The details
Stephanie Bartlett, a field research fellow with the International Bird Conservation Partnership, photographed the bird after IBCP research fellow Paulo Ditzel called out its movements to her. The expedition was organized and accompanied by Saint Guillaume Odoukpe and followed months of fieldwork and bird surveys in the Upper Guinean Rainforest.
Timeline
2013: Ghana cuckooshrike last documented in Atewa Forest, Ghana.
Following 13 years without verified sightings: bird photographed in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.
November 3, 2026: Article on the rediscovery published.
Season Trajectory
The Search for Lost Birds platform lists the Ghana cuckooshrike among species researchers have sought without success for over a decade. This rediscovery is a rare case in which a listed lost species was relocated through targeted fieldwork in a West African forest.
Birders planning trips to West Africa may find that forest sites in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana offer opportunities to see rare species. Visitors should follow local guidance and respect park rules in protected areas such as Taï National Park.
The takeaway
Targeted fieldwork with local researchers can recover species thought to be lost, so keep track of lost-bird lists and support the surveys that search for them.
Further reading
Explore more on Bird Watching to see how field surveys like this one locate elusive species.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mongabay.
