My 2005 Ivory-billed Woodpecker Search

Illustrated is an image of three Ivory-billed Woodpeckers which also shows some stripped bark on a tree trunk. The bark was stripped by the Ivory-bills in a search for food, beetles and larvae.

Shown is a male with the distinctive red head and nape while the female Ivory-billed has a completely black head and nape. The third woodpecker is somewhat hidden behind the tree truck.
This is an excellent image courtesy of the book Birds of America by John James Audubon The watercolor image was also painted in 1826 by John James Audubon who was very creative in his many illustrations of the avian world.

Throughout the mid 20th century it was thought that the Ivory-bill had become extinct due to the diminishing habitat in which it survived in, and searches were made by individuals and groups in attempts to rediscover this woodpecker. Among many of these renowned Ivory-billed searchers was Arthur A. Allen who also captured black & white photos of the bird in the 1930s, and James T. Tanner.
In 1942 a Research Report for the Audubon Society was authored by James T. Tanner for the society. This report was eventually published by Dover in 1966 and again republished in 2003 by Dover as The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. ISBN 0-486-42837-0 (pbk).

Jump forward to 2004 and a reported Ivory-bill Woodpecker sighting near the White River in Arkansas. A new path of rediscovery and verification of a living bird was undertaken in Arkansas. The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology lead much of this effort. Tim Gallagher published The Grail Bird Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in 2005. ISBN 0-618-45693-7.


Jumping forward to November 2005 I undertook my own humble search for this woodpecker. My search consisted of only one day in the area near Brinkley, Arkansas - and as I had never visited the area my motive was also to see the environment and do other birdwatching. As a long time birdwatcher I knew it would be a rich area for observing winter birds.

I studied the maps before the trip and the first stop was in Brinkley at a shop that was made popular by the current Ivory-billed craze. The shopkeeper was very friendly and told me about the areas of interest. The shop also, of course, sold lots of Ivory-bill related items. Among the items were several lovely paintings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

The bridge pictured below is in the Bayou de View area. Noting that the materials looked new I had wondered if it wasn't the very bridge in Bayou de View that had been burned, one of the many stories heard during that time frame.



Well I never did see the Ivory-billed Woodpecker nor did I hear it's distinctive "kent" call but I had a great time seeing the area, and the thought that I "might" see one caused the adrenaline to be active. I observed many other winter birds, saw the White River, Cyprus Trees, other wildlife and took away many photographs.

Should I visit the area again for birdwatching, I will think about renting a canoe with a local guide. Some of the local terrain is very swampy and to see the area at it's fullest, water travel would help a lot or downright be required for local areas.

Does the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker exist here in Arkansas in 2007?

The evidence is sparse and it would take some real faith to believe that it does. It is a wide and somewhat wild region that is hard to explore, and there are video and audio observation monitors set up which have not recorded the very best evidence.

Yet...tree bark continues to be found that is freshly peeled back much like the Ivory-Billed is known for, unlike other birds. Local folks continue to speak of the 'Lord Bird' and maybe just as important it is accurately described both visually and audibly the local residents.