Australia’s rarest bird of prey spotted in Central Australia after 30 years
By Ashmeeta Subra 13 February 2025
After three decades, the unique red goshawk has made a return to Central Australia, a significant record for the region.
At the Newhaven Sanctuary near Alice Springs, ecologist Dr Tim Henderson sighted the bird while tracking possums. Fortunate to have his camera on him at the time, Dr. Henderson captured several photos of the reddish-brown bird of prey flying overhead. According to him, it was a striking bird that immediately stood out to him as an unusual sight, later confirmed by experts as a red goshawk, a bird known for its impressive hunting skills.
Red goshawks are rare and have been gradually declining in numbers over recent decades. They used to live in open woodlands and forests from nearby Sydney to Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. However, they’ve been wiped out from 34 per cent of their original habitat, mainly due to habitat loss in southeastern Australia. Moreover, changes in fire patterns have made woodlands thicker and less open, making it harder for this species to hunt.
Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary spans over 2,000 square kilometres and serves as an important conservation area, working to restore natural habitats and protect species like the red goshawk. Dr. Henderson’s finding is an encouraging sign of the health of the sanctuary’s ecosystems as well as the bird’s continued migration into new areas.
This bird’s presence in the sanctuary is particularly significant as it is the first confirmed sighting in the region since the mid-1990s. The bird was later spotted again at a nearby wetland, likely hunting waterbirds.
In 2023, red goshawks were listed as federally endangered and it is now one of 22 ‘priority bird species’ in the government’s latest Threatened Species Action Plan. Despite the challenges they face, sightings like this one offer hope for the future of this endangered species.
“We’re not sure how long it will stick around, but we’ll definitely be keeping an eye out,” Dr. Henderson told the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
The sighting of the rare red goshawk is a hopeful reminder that sometimes, the rarest things really do fly back into our lives.
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Images supplied by Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
With background in international relations and marketing communications, Ashmeeta is excited to use her skills to encourage positive environmental actions through Planet Ark. She believes that by taking small actions, we can help make a big difference and be good stewards of our planet. She also loves spending time in nature and being at the beach.
