Worcester's Buttonquail
The rare Worcester's Buttonquail from the Philippines was presumed extinct until it was caught on camera in 2009 — right before it was sold as food. The tiny bird had previously been listed as "data deficient," on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List in 2008, which means there was inadequate information to determine if the Buttonquail was extinct, but scientists believed it was. But the following year a film crew unknowingly taped the Buttonquail while filming a segment on bird trapping in the mountains of Luzon in the Philippines. An ornithologist from the World Bird Club of the Philippines spotted the bird in the documentary, but it was later revealed the bird was sold at a poultry market shortly after it was filmed. Club president told the Daily Mail, "We are ecstatic that this rarely seen species was photographed by accident. It may be the only photo of this poorly known bird. But I also feel sad that the locals do not value the biodiversity around them and that this bird was sold for the cooking pot. What if this was the last of its species?" With a little luck, the bird's misfortune may spark an increased awareness of local wildlife.