Papua New Guinea’s unique and rare bird species, the “New Britain Goshawk,” was once thought to have been extinct for over half a century. However, not only has its presence been rediscovered, but it has also been captured on camera, much to the excitement of scientists.
The photo of this New Britain Goshawk, scientifically known as Accipiter princeps, was taken by the sharp-eyed photographer and filmmaker, Tom Vierus. It is the first known photograph of this rare species in history.
Vierus, who holds a master’s degree in tropical marine ecology, is part of a team dispatched by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to the remote Pomio District in New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. The team’s mission is to assess the biodiversity of the region and explore new conservation initiatives. Accompanied by local hunters, Vierus ventured deep into the forest to document as many wild animals as possible.
“The biodiversity in this area is incredibly rich, but capturing this raptor on camera was extremely fortunate!” Vierus, who is from Fiji, told The Epoch Times.
The award-winning photographer described the journey as both challenging and thrilling. Waking up in the uninhabited Nakanai mountain range, overlooking the mist-covered canopy of the rainforest while listening to the songs of various birds, he described the experience as “wondrous.”
Despite facing significant physical challenges during the expedition—from sleepless nights to insect bites and navigating through non-existent “roads”—Vierus realized the historical significance of the photo, making the trip “absolutely worthwhile.”
“When I realized the importance of this photo, I was speechless and amazed! In this era of information, capturing an animal that has never been photographed before is truly incredible!” Vierus said.
After uploading the photo to iNaturalist, a citizen science platform that aids researchers and enthusiasts in documenting wildlife sightings, Vierus recognized the uniqueness of his photo. The “Search for Lost Birds” project, founded by the American Bird Conservancy and BirdLife International, confirmed the bird in the photo as a New Britain Goshawk, marking it as a new sighting event, with the last sighting of this species dating back to 1969.
The scientific community and wildlife conservation groups have welcomed this news.
John Mittermeier, the director of the “Search for Lost Birds” project from the American Bird Conservancy, noted, “The last scientific record of this species was a specimen found in July 1969, currently housed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Although there have been several sightings in recent years, no photographs, sounds, or specimen documentation related to the New Britain Goshawk have been recorded in the past 55 years.”
Oscar Pileng, a WWF official based in Pomio, born in Pomio, stated that according to local residents, this species is “extremely rare” in the area, only found in the hinterlands of Pomio and “rarely seen.”
Vierus witnessed the New Britain Goshawk in the region in March this year but only disclosed the discovery in September. He described Pomio and its beauty as “unbelievable,” with stunning pristine coastal areas, dense and untouched rainforests, and a wide variety of flora and fauna, some of which are “unseen in other parts of the world.”
The photographer believes that such sightings highlight the “resilience of nature” and bring “hope” to the scientific community and the general public. Vierus emphasized that capturing wildlife helps raise awareness of environmental issues and encourages action.
“Simply put, people won’t care about what they don’t know. But if they see a moving story behind a photo or an inspiring documentary about an issue, not only will they realize the existence of the problem, but they may also be emotionally touched, inspiring them to take action,” he said.
“In this fast-paced world where everyone is often bombarded with information, capturing compelling photography related to nature conservation or telling a good conservation story is more important than ever before!”