A research team has once again found a bird that was thought to have disappeared for 140 years, Audubon magazine reports.

The expedition was carried out within the Search for Lost Birds project, which is the result of cooperation of BirdLife International, Rewild and American Bird Conservancy. The goal of the association is to rediscover more than 150 species of birds that have not been declared extinct but have also been overlooked for at least a decade.

It was possible to find a rare black-fronted pheasant pigeon (Otidiphaps insularis) on Fergusson Island (it is endemic, that is, it lives only in this region), off the east coast of Papua New Guinea. The area of the island is about 1500 square kilometers.

Scientists placed camera traps over the territory and one was placed on the crest of a mountain at 975 meters above sea level in an area of dense vegetation. Specialists thought this was not the best place, but a hunter in the local village said that this is where he last heard the cry of an animal very similar in description to that of a pheasant-pigeon. Some time later, researchers discovered on camera recordings at once two representatives, which recorded the camera trap a few miles away from each other.

Now Search for Lost Birds is calling for action to protect the endangered bird. Although Ferguson is an undeveloped island, logging operations sponsored by international corporations can pose a significant threat to native species. In addition, introduced predators, such as feral cats, can wipe out both the pheasant pigeon and other endemic animals.