Rare bird believed to be ‘lost’ for 55 years is photographed for first time in history

(Gray News) – A rare bird that was believed to have been “lost” for over 50 years has been photographed for the first time in history.

The New Britain Goshawk is found only on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the last scientific record of the bird species is from 1969. That record is kept at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The image of the goshawk was captured by Fiji-based photographer Tom Vierus while he was on a trip to the island with WWF in March 2024.

Vierus was part of a WWF group that was led into the island’s forests by local community members. As they explored, Vierus took various photos of bird species, including the goshawk.

“I wasn’t aware of the significance at the time,” he said. “It was such a great surprise to hear that this photo seems to be the first-ever of this ‘lost species.’”

Internationally renowned ornithologists confirmed the sighting in the photograph.

According to Search for Lost Birds, the New Britain Goshawk is considered globally vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

The bird is threatened by deforestation and loss of habitat on the island of New Britain.

Oscar Pileng, WWF’s officer for the region, spoke with local residents who said that seeing the goshawk in person is rare, even for those who live on the island.

“I was amazed to hear that this is the first time it has been photographed but am very happy that an official global record now exists,” Pileng said. “I hope this means more efforts are made to protect its habitat from the threats of large-scale agriculture, logging, mining and infrastructure development.”

More information on the rare bird as well as the new photograph can be found at the websites of Search for Lost Birds and iNaturalist.

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