More Ivory-billed Woodpeckers

Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Oct 2, 2006

In 2005, we heard that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, feared extinct, had been seen in eastern Arkansas. In spite of a controversial video, annual searches, and sighting confirmation from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and other bird and wildlife specialists, no indisputable photographs or other definitive evidence has been collected. Some bird specialists and avid bird watchers are absolutely convinced that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker lives in the bottomland forests of eastern Arkansas while others are still saying “Show me the proof.”

Now we may be about to get proof from the swamps of Florida. An Auburn University research team believes that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker still lives in the Florida panhandle – in the swamp forest bordering the Choctawhatchee River. The team has seen the birds at least 15 times, recorded calls and knocks typical of the species, and found nesting holes and tree damage more consistent with Ivory-bills than any other woodpecker species. Again, there’s no photograph or feather yet to provide definitive proof, but let’s hope the final word is not too far away.

The team’s scholarly article, published by Avian Conservation and Ecology, can be read in its entirety on the internet:

Hill, G. E., D. J. Mennill, B. W. Rolek, T. L. Hicks, and K. A. Swiston. 2006. Evidence suggesting that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers (Campephilus principalis) exist in Florida. Avian Conservation and Ecology - Écologie et conservation des oiseaux 1(3): 2. [online] URL: http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss3/art2/

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