Wild-born birds recruited to teach critically endangered regent honeyeaters their lost songs

The critically endangered regent honeyeater has rediscovered its lost song with wild-born birds teaching the complete version to zoo-bred males. Photograph: Dean Ingwersen

Scientists have rescued the lost song of the critically endangered regent honeyeater – one of Australia’s rarest birds.

Regent honeyeaters were once seen in vast flocks across south-eastern Australia, with a distribution that ranged from Queensland to Kangaroo Island in South Australia.