Two Kenyans Gain Global Recognition After Rediscovering Rare Red Weaver Bird Missing Since 2014

Two Kenyan birders have earned international recognition after rediscovering the elusive Red Weaver in Lamu County’s Boni-Dodori Forest, marking the first documented sighting of the species in more than a decade.

James Apolloh Omenya and Simon Odhiambo located and documented the rare bird during an 11-day expedition in July, ending a period in which the species had not been seen or photographed since 2014.

Historic Rediscovery

Odhiambo, a Murang’a-based conservationist popularly known as The KenyanBirder, described the rediscovery as a landmark moment for conservation.

“We were excited to make the rediscovery of the Red Weaver Bird in Boni-Dodori Forest. This lost bird species, only found in this forest globally, was last sighted more than a decade ago,” he said.

The breakthrough came on July 3 during an expedition into the wildlife-rich Boni-Dodori Forest, an area that also poses security challenges due to its proximity to the Kenya-Somalia border.

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According to the Search for Lost Birds initiative, Omenya and Odhiambo spotted three Red Weavers emerging from a bush after traveling deep into the forest by motorcycle in search of the elusive species.

A Rare Species Returns

The Search for Lost Birds initiative said the Red Weaver had previously been photographed only once, in April 2014, when birder John Musina documented a single male in Boni-Dodori Forest.

The species remained largely unknown for decades because of taxonomic uncertainty. For more than a century, scientists classified the Red Weaver as a subspecies of the Red-headed Weaver before eBird recognized it as a distinct species in 2024. It was added to the Search for Lost Birds list the following year.

The rediscovery has been hailed as a major milestone in global ornithology and conservation, bringing renewed attention to one of Kenya’s rarest endemic bird species.

Expedition Backed by Global Conservation Grant

Omenya, a 29-year-old ornithologist and bird guide, was among five recipients of the 2026 Ornis Birding x Lost Birds Expedition Grants, which support young birders searching for species considered lost to science.

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For his expedition, Omenya selected two target species, the Red Weaver and the Tana River Cisticola, another elusive bird that has not been documented since 1967. Both species inhabit remote areas of northeastern Kenya that are rarely visited by researchers.

Team Effort in a High-Risk Environment

The expedition brought together conservationists, bird photographers, environmental experts and local guides.

Besides Omenya and Odhiambo, the team included environmentalist Dr. Victor Ikawa, Paul Kaberere of the Environmental Compliance Institute, tour guides James Mburu and John Gitiri, as well as motorcycle riders Mohammed Noor and Charles Manhala of Aweer Conservancy.

The team also received logistical support from local chiefs, county commissioners, village elders and armed security personnel. In the most remote sections of the forest, the Kenya Defence Forces protected it because of the risk of militant activity.

Conservationists say the rediscovery underscores the ecological significance of the Boni-Dodori Forest and highlights the importance of continued scientific exploration and habitat protection to safeguard Kenya’s unique biodiversity.

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An aerial view of elephants walking through the Imenti Forest in Meru Kenya. PHOTO/ Nation