The South Island Kōkako is one of the world’s 25 most wanted lost species according to the Search for Lost Species led by rewild. The last confirmed sighting was in 1967 and the only officially accepted sighting since then was in 2007, when the New Zealand Department of Conservation changed the status from Extinct to Data Deficient. The South Island Kōkako Charitable Trust has been leading a search effort to find this unique bird. Several expeditions have ventured into New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park this year. The search teams were able to capture recordings from unidentified birds in April and May—and the distinct and haunting calls sound similar to a Kōkako. The recordings are being analyzed to try and determine which species made them by bioacoustics experts at Victoria University of Wellington (NZ). The South Island Kōkako Charitable Trust is also working with partners including the University of Otago’s Gemmell Lab (universityofotago) and Wilderlab to develop environment...