‘Lost Species’ that Eluded ‘Documentation for 55 Years’ Is Finally Photographed on an Island – MASHAHER

The last documented New Britain Goshawk sighting was in 1969

Over half a century after its last sighting, a “lost species” of bird has been found—and this time, there is photographic evidence.

On Sept. 13, the World Wildlife Fund reported that a New Britain Goshawk was photographed in Papua New Guinea. Tom Vierus, a photographer from Fiji, captured the rare bird with his camera in the Nakanai Mountains.

“I was on a scoping trip with WWF in Pomio [eastern New Britain], with three members of the local community guiding us through the forest, so we could better understand the presence of species,” Vierus shared in a WWF release. He had been on a trip with WWF in March when he documented the New Britain Goshawk.

“I photographed several bird species, including the New Britain Goshawk, but wasn’t aware of the significance at the time,” the photographer added.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species categorizes the bird as vulnerable, a step above endangered. As of 2016, there are an estimated 2,500-9,999 “mature individuals.”

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John Mittermeier, the director of the Search for Lost Birds at American Bird Conservancy, told WWF that the last time someone documented an observation of the New Britain Goshawk was in 1969. This documentation, which doesn’t include photos, is kept at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Otherwise, Mittermeier noted that the bird has “eluded photo, sound, and specimen documentation for 55 years. “

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After the 2024 New Britain Goshawk sighting, the local government asked the WWF to expand its conservation efforts for Papua New Guinea wildlife to Pomio in East New Britain.

“It was such a great surprise to hear that this photo seems to be the first-ever of this ‘lost species!’ It is wonderful to see how conservation photography can help in safeguarding areas by documenting the existing biodiversity and also a good reminder of how important visual storytelling is,” Vierus said of his New Britain Goshawk photo.

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Martha Eimba, the Pomio landscape manager of WWF-Papua New Guinea, said that the WWF has “begun a process of collaboration to understand the threats, livelihood opportunities, and social contexts” to protect Papua New Guinea’s rare species and create a conservation program.

This isn’t the first time a species has been rediscovered in Papua New Guinea, which has the “third-largest intact tropical rainforest in the world.”

In 2022, a rare pigeon species was photographed, marking the first time a human documented the bird in 140 years. Mittermeier called the documentation of the black-naped pheasant pigeon “the kind of moment you dream about your entire life as a conservationist and birdwatcher.”

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