First sighting of Black-naped pheasant pigeon in 140 years
Photo from American Bird Conservancy
Edited by Yujin Tchun
Black-naped pheasant pigeons, which solely live on Fergusson island in Papua New Guinea, were previously thought to be extinct with no specimens sighted or photographed since 1882. This changed when a group of scientists, using a camera trap, managed to get a short video of one after they spent a month searching the thick jungles covering the isle, only two days before they were set to leave.
While the initial discovery occurred in September, the information was only released last week. Some of the same scientists had previously tried to obtain evidence of the bird's existence in 2019 but had been unsuccessful. The expedition's co-leader, John Mittermeier, said the discovery felt like “finding a unicorn”.
The one and only recording of the ground-dwelling bird, whose scientific name is Otidiphaps insularis, was recorded on the western slopes of the island’s tallest mountain, Mount Kilkerran. The team chose the spot after talking to several locals, who call the bird Auwo, having heard the bird’s distinctive calls. The pheasant pigeon is visually characterised by rusty brown wings and a broad tail.
The dense jungle and sweltering heat were not the only problems to put up with, as on their boat trip back to Normanby, another island in Papua New Guinea, the scientists were forced to outrun pirates, a common threat in the area.
References
American Bird Conservancy. (2022, November 19). [Black-naped pheasant-pigeon in the wild].
BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63672501
81. Black-naped Pheasant-pigeon. (n.d.). Edge of Existence. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from
http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/black-naped-pheasant-pigeon/
Sottile, Z. (2022, November 19). This bird hadn't been documented by scientists since 1882.
Then they captured video of it in Papua New Guinea. CNN. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/19/world/black-naped-pheasant-pigeon-scn-trnd/index.html
Turnbull, T. (2022, November 19). Black-naped pheasant-pigeon sighted in PNG for first time
in 140 years. BBC News. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63672501
