'Extinct' Bird Flies Again

The Beck’s petrel, a bird last seen in the 1920s and long thought extinct, appears to be very much alive, the AP reports. Spurred by unconfirmed sightings in Australia two years ago, an Israeli ornithologist set out for a group of islands off Papua New Guinea and brought back hard evidence: photos of about 30 of the birds (cousin to the albatross) and even the remains of one found at sea.

Hadoram Shirihai’s photos and a report from last summer’s trip were published in an ornithological journal yesterday, and so far skeptical bird-watchers, who’ve seen their share of hoaxes, seem to be satisfied. "I don't think there’s much doubt about it,” said one expert at BirdLife International. (More birds stories.)