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	Dutch scientist Martjan Lammertink, poised to record any glimpse of the Ivory-billed Woodepecker. © TNC View more photos from the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

The Search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

The Ivory-Bill: A Ghost of the Old South

More than 60 years after the ivory-billed woodpecker was thought to be extinct in the United States, researchers now have found evidence that the majestic bird may still live.

In February of 2004, a kayaker caught sight of an ivory-billed woodpecker in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, an encounter that led to an extensive scientific search for the bird. Most had long given up hope for the ivory-bill, which had lost its habitat to intensive logging. But in Arkansas’ Mississippi Delta, a swath of the Big Woods remains.

The Search Is On

That first sighting in 2004 launched a year-long search by the Big Woods Conservation Partnership, led by The Nature Conservancy and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

Since then, the partnership's researchers collected evidence they believe confirms the existence of the magnificent ivory-bill. The bird was spotted more than a dozen times by a team of experts and searchers. Seven credible sightings, along with other evidence – including video and possible recordings of the bird’s distinctive double knock – have convinced many scientists that in the woods of this swampy refuge, the ivory-bill woodpecker survives.

"The bird captured on video is clearly an ivory-billed woodpecker," said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Hope for the Future

"Finding the ivory-bill in Arkansas validates decades of great conservation work in the past and represents an incredible story of hope for the future," said Scott Simon, director of The Nature Conservancy of Arkansas. "For over 20 years, many agencies, conservation organizations, hunters and landowners have aggressively worked to conserve and restore the bottomland hardwood and swamp ecosystem. Now we know we must work even harder to conserve this critical habitat — not just for the ivory-billed woodpecker, but for the black bears and many other rare species of these unique woods."

For More Information About the Ivory-billed Woodpecker:

• Timeline of the Search for the Ivory-bill
  Follow the search team looking for the ivory-bill in the Big Woods of Arkansas.
• Ivory-billed Woodpecker Search Logistics
  Learn about the technology and planning behind the unprecedented effort to find the ivory-billed woodpecker.
• Ivory-billed Woodpecker Video News Release (VNR)
  (.MOV, 3.1 MB, new window)
• The Search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
  Follow the ivory-billed woodpecker on a journey through historic America lasting one hundred and eighty-five years.
• Audio Chat: Phillip Hoose Speaks About the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
  Listen to Phillip Hoose, author of The Race to Save the Lord God Bird speak about the recent rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker in a live online audio chat.
• Postcards from the Field: On the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
  Follow ivory-billed woodpecker author and expert Phillip Hoose as he goes in search of the The Lord God Bird and reflects on the fascinating history of this species which, once lost, has been found again.
• How You Can Help: Donate online
  Support our efforts to conserve this critical habitat for the ivory-bill and other species.
• Ivory-billed Woodpecker News
  See ivory-billed woodpecker photos, maps of the ivory-bill's habitat, and other news and information about the rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker.