Hawk-eyed photographer snaps threatened bird feared lost

A hawk-eyed photographer has thrilled scientists by snapping a threatened bird of prey in Papua New Guinea, more than five decades since it was last officially documented, the World Wildlife Fund said Friday.

The New Britain Goshawk is only found on Papua New Guinea's New Britain island and is considered threatened, though information about its status is sparse.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates there are between 2,500 and 10,000 mature individuals in the wild, but the bird's elusive nature makes details hard to confirm.

In fact, the bird is so unusual that Fiji-based photographer Tom Vierus didn't even realise what he captured until later.

"It was such a great surprise to hear that this photo seems to be the first-ever of this 'lost species,'" he said in a statement issued by WWF, an environmental NGO.

The last scientific documentation of the species appears to be a 1969 specimen now kept in a US museum, according to John Mittermeier, director of the Search for Lost Birds at the American Bird Conservancy.

While there have been sporadic reported sightings, "the New Britain Goshawk seems to have eluded photo, sound, and specimen documentation for 55 years," he said.

WWF said the discovery highlighted the importance of protecting the area from threats including logging and mining.

Much of Papua New Guinea's population lives below the poverty line, and many officials are keen to welcome companies to exploit vast reserves of gold, copper, nickel, natural gas and timber.

It is also home to the world's third-largest intact tropical forest, according to WWF, and environmentalists warn little research has been done on diverse and rich ecosystems now at risk.