Lost Birds of North America

 Many bird species have been "lost" in the world. They are not necessarily extinct but haven't been spotted in decades or centuries. These are not birds that we have tracked over time, but ones that were lost before now. Again, in this case, "lost" is not "extinct," even though lost usually means extinct in writing.

Together, a few bird advocates worldwide published a list of 144 birds that haven't been seen in over 10 years but may still be around. The entire list is in the article.

Previously "lost" and now found. 
Clockwise from top left: Santa Marta sabrewing; Golden-fronted bowerbird; yellow-eared parrot; Hook-billed kite; Edwards’s pheasant; Bronze parotia.Credit...Carole Turek; Tim Laman; Federico Rios for The New York Times; Karine Aigner; Ernie James; Tim Laman/Nature Picture Library, via Minden Pictures

One of the birds previously on the list as lost since 1879 is the Santa Maria Seebring, a hummingbird on the top left of the image. It was just photographed by a naturalist in Colombia. I quote from the article.

In 2022, an ornithologist high in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of northern Colombia spotted the shimmering emerald green and cobalt blue feathers of the Santa Marta Sabrewing. A large hummingbird, it had only been documented twice since 1879. As the bird sat on a branch the ornithologist, Yurgen Vega, captured images.
Once lost to science, it now was found.
The bird was on the American Bird Conservancy’s 10 most wanted list, which sits atop a longer register of “lost birds,” which are formally defined as not having been documented by photographic, audio or genetic evidence in at least a decade.

Interesting. If you see something, say something.