The South Island kokako - believed to be extinct for decades - may have been seen in Southland

The South Island Kokako Trust is offering 10-thousand dollars to anyone who provides information leading to confirmation the bird's still alive.

The Otago Daily Times reports the most recent report was from a hunter on private land between two areas of conservation land about 13-kilometres west of Tuatapere.

The songbird was listed as extinct until 2013, when the Department of Conservation reclassified its status as data deficient.