Pecking holes in several theories Return of ‘extinct’ bird provides hope

Those of you who read this column have by now undoubtedly heard about the rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker, in the Big Woods region of Arkansas. The last confirmed sighting of the bird occurred in 1944 in Louisiana. In the following years, tantalizing reports of additional sightings could not be confirmed, and scientists believed the bird had likely gone extinct in the United States. A sub-species of this bird, located in Cuba, was also believed to have gone extinct in the 1990s.

To say this news was a big deal in the ornithological and birding communities (and the scientific world in general) is an understatement. As quoted by Frank Gill, former Audubon Society president and now science editor for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Birds of North America,” by the Associated Press, “It’s kind of like finding Elvis.”

By all accounts it was an unusual bird; nicknamed the “Lord God bird,” (as in, “Lord God, look at that bird!), it has been described by researchers as “a pileated woodpecker on steroids.” It has a three-foot wingspan, striking black and white plumage, and a beak that is more than three inches long.

The bird lived in an environment that was undergoing profound change, and the intense pressures it faced began its gradual slide toward near-extinction. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology summed it up on its Web page: “The Ivory-billed Woodpecker thrived on the great expanses of virgin timber that covered much of the South before the Civil War… After the Civil War, the lumber industry took off and the great trees of the South were felled to feed a nation starved for wood, wood, and more wood.”

Jerome Jackson, in his BNA account, states that “a strong case can be made that the species has been the victim of technology and war: technology allowed humans to cut forests more quickly and completely. … World Wars I and II (and more recent conflicts) brought increased demands for forest products… and stifling of conservation efforts if they could be perceived to impede war efforts.”

Jackson goes on to make a telling point: “… during World War I… a bill was passed to build 1,000 ships of southern pine, sounding the death knell for remaining virgin pine forests. It was considered patriotic to cut the forests, although only 320 ships were ever built and none saw war action. World War II was the final blow. …”

As this extraordinary bird became scarcer, people went into overdrive: Collectors rushed to obtain the few remaining birds, to shoot and stuff them for museums and private collections – and the last then-known territory of the birds in the United States, known as the Singer Tract, was cut down. As we look back on this history of greed and nearsightedness, we at least have had the sense to feel shame to think we had caused the extinction of yet another species on this planet. Another piece of this mosaic of life was unraveling, causing as yet unforeseen effects on our future. And for what? “War efforts” that were ill-conceived and unnecessary.

The discovery that the ivory-billed woodpecker still lives has given many people hope. We have a second chance. Maybe we can make it right, learn from our mistakes, and save this and other species from extinction. Even stave off the threat of extinction in the first place. We can reverse our negative impacts on our environment.

But can we? When I see our government neglecting efforts at conservation, and planning such things as opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling – under the banner of “aiding us in our war on terrorism” – I wonder.

I see history repeating itself.

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net