A bird missing from scientific records for nearly a century has been rediscovered in central Chad, turning a long-standing mystery into one of Africa’s most remarkable recent ornithological findings. The Rusty Lark (Calendulauda rufa) was documented on 2 February 2026 in the Abou Telfane wildlife reserve in Guéra province, where a Franco-Chadian team observed, photographed and filmed the elusive species. According to Tour du Valat’s account, the sighting is the first documented record since 1931 and produced the first known photographs of a living Rusty Lark. Birds of the World’s report also highlights the significance of finding a species that had remained extraordinarily poorly documented despite its presence across the Sahel.
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