Ornis Birding Expeditions is a tour company founded by a team of driven young birdwatchers who have worked their whole careers as global leaders, and are genuinely excited by the least-known and hardest-to-find species across the world. Real megas! We are proud to be funding this grant, hoping to inspire the world's most skilled and dedicated naturalists to spearhead pioneering birding whilst aiding conservation and generating ecotourism opportunities.
Search for Lost Birds is a global partnership between American Bird Conservancy, Re:wild, and BirdLife International. Species distribution and population are the foundation for conservation planning, but some birds have escaped scientific detection for decades. In extreme cases, it's unclear whether they still exist at all. More than 20 birds have been found since the project began in 2021, several of these on Ornis Birding Expeditions tours.
About the grant:
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After arriving at your destination, you must dedicate a minimum of 14 days to arranging access and being in the field. Field days require either looking for the lost bird or surveying unstudied habitats in the search area. You may choose to spend longer in the country or region to make the most of the flight tickets and do your own birding afterwards.
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While searching, you must respectfully work with and encourage any locals who could help birdwatchers or researchers visit the area in the future, be that through guiding, logistics, or land access.
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In order to provide meaningful data regardless of success with your lost species, you must submit daily eBird checklists to accurately record all your sightings during the course of the exploration.
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Following your trip, all photos and sound recordings should be uploaded to the eBird checklists, and a blog-style summary must be sent to Lost Birds. Additionally, we strongly suggest formally documenting your experiences as part of a relevant scientific paper, with which our committee can assist.
About you:
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Aged 18-30, prepared to spend at least two weeks exploring a remote region with an unmatched drive to never stop birding.
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Experienced with backpacking, able to travel on a budget while still safely getting where you want to go.
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Skilled as an extremely knowledgable birder, with demonstrated success targeting tough birds in countries or areas which you are not familiar with.
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Friendly and enthusiastic, able to meaningfully connect with locals across cultural and language barriers wherever you go.
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Willing to take out comprehensive travel insurance at your own expense, and to fund any additional expenses during your expedition which may not be fully covered by the grant.
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Able to write a detailed proposal to be submitted with your application, covering all details of how you intend to safely yet effectively search for your chosen lost bird/s. Tell us why you think you will succeed!
Ornis Birding x Lost Birds
Expedition Grants 2026
Calling all birders aged 18-30, with a drive to explore and go birding in some of the most remote places in the world! We are funding grants of up to $5,000 USD which we hope will mostly cover expenses for individuals or groups who wish to try and rediscover a lost bird.
Study the requirements, write up your plan, and send your application! Submissions will close on the 20th December 2025 and be reviewed by a committee of experts selected by Ornis Birding and Lost Birds. Successful applicants will be announced in the first half of January 2026.
Help expand this initiative
Additional financial support will allow us to sponsor more passionate young birders each year and hopefully find more lost birds.
Any donations are made directly to the American Bird Conservancy and are tax deductible for US taxpayers, but make sure to email us beforehand (info@ornis-birding.com) so that we can ensure your funds are correctly directed into this program.
You can also visit the our new web store (only selling a small handful of birdy shirts at this stage), from which all proceeds are directed into the grants.
What is a lost bird?
The Search for Lost Birds follows the definition established by Long & Rodríguez (2022; Oryx 56: 481-482):
"a lost species is one not confirmed alive by photographic, audio or genetic information for over 10 years in the wild and has no ex situ population under human care.”
This means that species recently seen, but not photographed, would still qualify as lost, while a bird with captive populations in zoos and aviaries would not, regardless of its status in the wild. This last caveat disqualifies birds like the Edwards's Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) and White-naped Pheasant-pigeon (Otidiphaps aruensis), which both have populations in captivity, even though they may be 'lost in the wild.'
Defined in this way, lost species prioritize knowledge gaps over extinction risk. As a result, Lost Birds span the full range of what's known as IUCN Red List categories, from Least Concern to Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). Although species with a greater risk of extinction will be higher conservation priorities, every Lost Bird represents a species that would benefit from a closer look and new information. Learn more by visiting Search for Lost Birds.