A rare bird lost for sixteen years is seen once again

Near the peaks of the Cyclops Mountains, the expedition spotted a pair of Mayr’s honeyeaters and captured the first-ever video footage of this lively bird, last seen in 2007.

More surprises in the Cyclops

The last day of the expedition was an exceptionally fortuitous one. Our team captured the first-ever photos and videos of Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna and made the first record of Mayr’s honeyeater (Ptiloprora mayri) in 16 years. This species is known from historical observations on the Bewani, Cyclops, and Foja Mountains, all located on the northern coast of Papua. Our observation confirms that this species is still alive and well, and ongoing research will assess its conservation status.