The New Britain Goshawk, a bird species that has eluded any documentation for over 50 years, was photographed in Papua New Guinea in early 2024.

(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.

But as human intervention reaches deeper and deeper into these untouched places, discovering lost species has become even more miraculous. In Papua New Guinea, one of these creatures has been missing from the scientific record for decades, and the animal has never been photographed — until now.

A photographer captured documentation which experts say is the "first-ever photo" of a "lost species” which hasn't been documented in 55 years.