Chasing a Ghost, The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

[@rodkirt9273]

In 1956 to 1961 we saw several Ivory Bills ( had long white stripes going from their heads down through their wings. They were in a huge swamped area with large pines growing in it. The swap is in the Chattahoochee, Florida area 2 miles west of Chattahoochee on highway 90. The locals call it Tate’s Hell. It is very not accessible and old man Tate got lost in there for seven days. When he finally walked out people asked him where had he been and he said “ I have been in Hell “. Thus the name ‘ Tate’s Hell “. The swap drains into the Appalachia River about 7 miles down from the Jim Woodruff dam.

[@goognamgoognw6637]

I don't understand how you can get lost for days. Anybody who spends regular time in the big outdoors intuitively learns to keep bearings using the position of the sun. In the late afternoon it will be south west, it's enough indication to never go in circles. Unless you can't see the sun.

[@laurakoby806]

I wish this youtube comment was a movie.

[@bethwright8595]

@@goognamgoognw6637 I take it you've never seen Tate's Hell. It's unclear whether this story is the truth or a myth, but the legendary Mr. Tate was not an outdoorsman, he was a settler in what was still a very wild place in 1875, the year his trek through the wilderness supposedly took place. Even today, the vegetation in much of Tate's Hell is so dense - and was undoubtedly even more so back in the late 1800s when this supposedly happened - I suspect you wouldn't have been able to see the sun in places. And, of course, the sun's not always out! ☁️ ⛅ ⛈️ I'm an experienced outdoorswoman and professional wildlife biologist who's done wildlife fieldwork for roughly two decades, much of it in bottomland forest. I've been miles away from any road or the main river channel out in huge backswamps all by myself countless times. It's incredibly confusing to find your way around in them because it all looks alike. I wouldn't go very far off any road within Tate's Hell State Forest without a map, compass, and handheld GPS!

[@bethwright8595]

@Rod Kirt, I must correct some of what you say in your post, which I found quite intriguing as a professional wildlife biologist who spent four six-month field seasons during the second half of the 2000s in paid positions searching for these birds in three different states (AR, TX, and FL, specifically in the Choctawhatchee River basin in the western Panhandle). I also did some volunteer work for a colleague from Florida State University covering search blocks in the Apalachicola River bottomlands when I was between seasonal jobs before I actually moved here in 2009. First, I'd be surprised if you saw pines in a swamp. I suspect they were baldcypress. Pines do not like "wet feet" and tend to grow in the uplands. There's actually a pretty obvious transition zone at the edge of bottomland forest where you start seeing pines in drier conditions as you head into the uplands. Also, it's a much longer distance from the Jim Woodruff Dam to the mouth of what's actually the Apalachicola River (not Appalachia) than what you state as 7 miles. It's 107 miles! That's actually the length of the Apalachicola River, which is formed by the intersection of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers at the Florida- Georgia border where the Woodruff Dam was built - a very bad decision in terms of the health of the Apalachicola River and Apalachicola Bay. Finally, Tate's Hell is not up near Chattahoochee on 90. The southern end of Tate's Hell State Forest is down here on the coast roughly a 30-minute drive east of Apalachicola along U.S. 98 over near Carrabelle, and right across the road from Apalachicola Bay. It's on the opposite side of the river from what you described as a location much farther north. I hope you will find this information useful and interesting. I don't mean to be a know-it-all but I do know that what I've written here is factual. Thanks for listening!

[@goognamgoognw6637]

@@bethwright8595 I am not sure what to tell you. I don't disagree but you've said nothing particular or anecdotal only general common sense.

[@Just_shush_now]

For those who don’t understand how bird identification work here’s a few tips: 1. A field guide is a must have, memory is not good enough. If you have a camera take shots and ask for help from sites such as birdforum. 2. Do not assume it’s an extinct bird and don’t try a change a birds features to suit the id you want… 3. Your eyes are not a measuring tool, pileated woodpeckers are not a set size and is not a size that is distinguishable from the Ivory billed through just the site. 3. Features of a bird can be exacerbated by lighting, such as the white flashes on the wing of a pileated woodpecker. 4. Birds can suffer from leucism which can cause a bird to have large white patches or be fully white. 5. Plumages and their quality can make a bird appear different, puffed feathers can lead to bird looking larger and damaged feathers can male the bird look slightly different.

[@Muskieangler]

I didn't realise until now that Woody Woodpecker is an ivory billed. Also amazing crystal clear footage from 80 years ago yet any footage after is grainy as a sasquatch.

[@elizabethklein7073]

Woody is not an ivory billed, he is based on the pileated.

[@johncollins7044]

Thank you! That intro in the beginning and I thought to myself, "are you using the same camera that filmed Bigfoot?

[@samwisegamgee1243]

Really grateful for all the work Texas Parks & Wildlife have been doing for nature! 😊

[@spartan7911]

Rest in peace sweet Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers

[@Sleepless4Life]

Thx for the spoiler! 😭

[@hillbillyfromtheswamp6223]

They're still around. I've seen them here in Lodi N.Y.

[@ghostmanscores1666]

They were killed for their ivory.

[@mwheele78]

​@@hillbillyfromtheswamp6223 lol. Ok. Proof?

[@SQUAREHEADSAM1912]

@@hillbillyfromtheswamp6223they only lived in the south…

[@skeeterskoville9226]

If I saw one of these in the woods, I would start crying. Long live King Ivory!

[@goognamgoognw6637]

Everybody's talking about seeing, but you'd hear ir first for weeks , month and years before you'd ever see one. They're loud and prehistoric sounding. Thanks to the great Pileated woodpecker I know this.

[@Glassandcandy]

There's a decent possibility that the Cuban subspecies has survived, as it has much larger swaths of undisturbed habitat than its american counterpart. It was last seen in 1980s, but there are many parts of the cuban mountains that have not bee properly surveyed, and they were known to have migrated deeper into the mountains before they went missing.

[@skeeterskoville9226]

@@Glassandcandy oh wow...God willing, my friend! Thank you for the hope 🤞🙏

[@ridercfo3368]

I got a chance to see one twice once in flight and another time from a long off distance. two years after there was a spotting of the bird in Vancouver.

[@never2late454]

It's been a few years but I've seen them on the Calcasieu river on the Cypress swamps in Louisiana. They look bigger than the regular red headed woodpeckers I mostly see

[@kenna2090]

You're seeing Pileated Woodpeckers

[@never2late454]

@@kenna2090 I see Pialeted every time I go out. These are larger and flash way more white when flying.

[@never2late454]

@@kenna2090 they even sound different when they are hitting the tree. The regular red headed woodpeckers sound like a jack hammer but these seem to have a slower knock. Maybe they are extremely large Pileated. I'm no bird expert.

[@kenna2090]

@@never2late454 Pileated Woodpeckers have slower drums compared to many other Woodpeckers! I'm actually a biology student at an university who's just a lil bit too bird-obsessed thanks to my Ornithology professor! I'm actually trying to start my senior thesis this year on local bird calls and behavior that are possibly affected by a plant nearby that had polluted our ecosystem (sorry for keeping things vague, I'm just trying not to doxx myself). And I have a lil' bird at home too! If you ever hear or see them again, you should record it on your phone and send it my way! I'd be happy to ID birds, their calls, or drumming- I can also even ask my professor about his opinion! I really want to believe that they could still be possibly out there since I just adore them and Carolina Parakeets. It's more less that 1. A lot of people tend to mix up Woodpeckers, especially the Pileated Woodpecker, for the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. I see videos every now and then on KZbin where people say they have a recording of one and submit it on here for it to be the Pileated. It's hard and confusing sometimes to ID birds! Heck, I get mixed up on the Chickadees and hybrids here because they're all so similar! 2. If all the commenters saying they regularly/has recently seen them in the past few years to be true, then by now bird watchers/ornithologist/other field researchers would have seen them by now. Edit: I just fixed a spelling error

[@never2late454]

@@kenna2090 Unfortunately when I had seen them they were in flight traveling across the river from one side to the other and moving rather fast. I've yet to ever seen one on a tree with the exception of the red head's. The last time I spotted one was a couple years back maybe 3 in an area called Indian village on the Calcasieu river. That area also has a large population of regular woodpecker's. The area along that section is nothing but very old and large cypress trees and seems to attract lots of woodpecker's. There's so much bottom land and swamp around that area and along the Calcasieu that makes it hard to traverse. It can only be accessed by a small boat and mine is too large to really get inside the swamp. You can view that area on Google maps BTW. Good luck in your studies, I wish you the best

[@SwampmasterZ]

Yes this bird still exists,I saw two pairs of these in November of 2013 in denham springs, Louisiana,they were in the top of a large oak tree,the ones with the really big acorns,..they were huge,bigger than crows and when this hammer,my god it was louder than anything you ever heard from a pilated pecker, I could tell they were different at a glance,

[@micahhuge1474]

Are you sure it wasn’t pilleated woodpeckers? They look very similar!

[@caracortage3270]

Great comment, now I understand.

[@sandramorey2529]

It is always very sad when any critter goes extinct. Restoration of habitat is the most important thing that can be done. Protect the Pileated as with any species, the bigger they are the more likely it is that they will be driven into extinction.

[@goognamgoognw6637]

You're a critter too.

[@nottawa86]

thanks

[@spartan7911]

Humans can be scums

[@bethwright8595]

Pileated Woodpeckers are not a federally listed species, and I'm not aware of them being listed in any state either. They are still relatively common as far as I know. You don't see them a lot because they're not as plentiful as smaller woodpeckers, based on the simple fact that larger animals have larger territories, and thus there are going to be fewer of them in a given area. Lower population density would be a more scientific way of putting it. And I totally disagree that larger animals are in more danger of extinction. What makes you think that? The proposed list of species to be declared extinct itself contradicts that supposition. I do agree that larger species require larger territories be more affected by development, but that's not the only factor involved in whether a given species is doing well or not.

[@DanielHHurt]

@@bethwright8595 Beth, Pileated Woodpeckers ARE SO a Federally listed species. They are listed in CFR Part 10 of the Migratory Bird Treaty ACT of 1918. Most states if not all afford protections for Pileated Woodpeckers. Daniel

[@bigrooster6893]

Back in the 1800’s when there was still plenty of ivory bill woodpecker’s it was very very rare to even see one.

[@DanielHHurt]

That is very true. I believe it is just in their nature to be very elusive to human beings due to years of logging out old growth timber (the best trees) as well as hunting them out. Ivory Bills seem to despise the sight of humans, and can you blame them? Daniel

[@kimhollenbeck1308]

Wow the ivory billed woodpecker is really beautiful and I love the sound that they make

[@Ben-0]

The footage is so grainy and the bird is so far, I can't really tell what bird it is. You can't even tell if it is a woodpecker at all.

[@myyyway27]

I saw 2 just now in Vero Beach, FL! They are awesome.🥰

[@peterchristensen9585]

I was standing under a large Sycamore behind my condo in the Northwest one day and stuff kept falling on me. I finally figured out that it was a Pileated stripping off bark to find insects. I see them frequently, but it's always exciting to be so close to such a beautiful bird. I can't imagine the excitement in seeing an Ivory Billed. Well, maybe I can! In the early 60s I used to go see Condors in the wild before they were all captured. Mostly I saw them circling the mountain peaks in the afternoon, but one time when I was stopped at a turnout in the road and one came up the canyon and passed only 5 or 10 yards above me. It all happened very quickly, but it was mature and the white under the wings was stark and beautiful.

[@marilyngiannuzzi9867]

I would love to see these woodpeckers in our woods someday!

[@carolschedler3832]

Depending where you live, a suet feeder will bring the woodpeckers. It needs to be where squirrels can’t access cus they’ll wipe out a suet cake in a day or two. The pillated woodpecker is frequently spotted here (northeast Ohio). If you listen to a recording of their sounds, there is nothing else like it and I often hear them and go to the window. It’s as if they are announcing themselves. Also, usually see two at a time. The mating pair stays together.

[@kona5853]

When I was younger I had a bird watching journal, there was times I’d hear chatter and such never saw much until one day saw a interesting wood pecker. I had an area I liked to go it was a creek bed end that was always flooded bout 2-2.5 feet about maybe 5 acres and had a bunch big cypress trees only single old willow and a few oaks out there and I could have sworn I saw one and often heard vocal chatter. What I saw had a narrow white stripe on its back it was working on its main tree and then flew off after bout 20 mins. I had spoken to my step dad, he was the true “bird watcher.” he said that it was a pileated. I’m going to go on limb though to say he was right cause I wasn’t exactly in the right range, Missouri, but I still always wonder about the distinguishable stripe and the chatter I heard. Probably a pileated though.

[@nottawa86]

maybe who knows, as someone who lives in Texas, I hope there is some down here somewhere but likely not.

[@DanielHHurt]

Missouri? Yes, for sure it was a Pileated. Daniel

[@kimhollenbeck1308]

That would be really awesome for the researchers to find ivory billed woodpeckers in the wild in the USA

[@prissilou]

Have heard pileated woodpeckers many times on our land, and realized where 'Woody Woodpecker" got his laugh. As a kid, never thought anything about it, but upon hearing it as a grown up, thought, "OMG, that's where they got the Woody Woodpecker laugh from"!

[@kimhollenbeck1308]

Awe the baby woodpeckers are so cute and adorable

[@CharismaticPlanet3822]

This is extremely sad that this gem has lost and not recovered.

[@lincolnjohnson5129]

Hope your all's search goes well!

[@skinnyskinhead9492]

7:16 i swear to god thats the same sound effect engineer has in tf2 when he is building

[@JavierRamirez-nn6qt]

Iij

[@philjr5714]

This is absolutely tremendous news. Now if we could find the passenger pigeon and a eastern elk were good to go!

[@sharksport01]

and a male calico cat.

[@wyattwilliams2457]

And a Carolina parakeet

[@nottawa86]

and a Bachman's Warbler and a Rocky Mountain Locust.

[@nottawa86]

@@sharksport01 In your dreams!

[@sharksport01]

@@nottawa86 🐱

[@garfieldirwin]

For an Ivory Billed woodpecker to exist there would have to be many dozens in existence continuing to raise young. In this day and age no way that would go unnoticed. Sorry to say, they are extinct.

[@reptiledysfunction5512]

Exactly. I don't understand why people don't realize this. A species can't exist for decades with a population of just a few. If there were enough birds to sustain the population, people would be documenting them. The Ivory-billed woodpecker is EXTINCT.

[@michaelg8642]

this day and age most people wouldnt know what they were looking at if they looked up from their phones long enough to spot one

[@Sleepless4Life]

Debbie downer ruining the party for everyone! Y yu do tis?

[@garfieldirwin]

@@michaelg8642 Don't underestimate the number of birders out there! ;-)

[@dimidomo7946]

If the IBW wasn't attracted to its own mating or species audio playback then that just increases the odds of it remaining a ghostly image/memory.

[@cindypieper4405]

One of the largest Woodpeckers in the world the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is an extremely rare bird with an estimated population of fewer than 50 individuals. It has a beatiful coloration of red, white, and black and is very large thus easy to identify. However the Pileated Woodpecker is both the same size and has the same coloration which makes the search a bit challenging.

[@dogtoddy]

Zero is fewer than 50

[@samreynolds3789]

Before 1492, ALL WAS WELL !

[@bradclifford295]

There is a $50,000 reward for anyone that can lead a scientist to an ivory billed woodpecker. It might as well be $50 million because you would think they would have found one by now with all of the people out there looking for them.

[@sriddle3569]

Wanted dead or alive to prove its existence?

[@server1ok]

The only reason that this bird isn't extinct is because there was a small population left in hard to reach areas and swamps. Historically, a census doesn't give much protection as most low population birds that have been counted and categorized have been finished off by collectors, poachers and even wild life rehab organizations that didn't know what they were doing. I.e. As long as this bird can stay hidden ( or away ) from humans, it will probably live on.

[@DanielHHurt]

Well said. Exactly. Daniel

[@nathanwebb4836]

In the summer of 2018 I saw an ivory-billed woodpecker in a small woodlot next to a big lake at the recreational park next to Enterprise, Alabama. First I heard it and recognized its call from the audio and sure enough there it was. Seeing the ivory-billed woodpecker was truly a miracle and I wish I had my camera to take a photo of it.

[@DanielHHurt]

I lived all over Alabama for 22 years, southern Louisiana for 1 year, and worked for USFWS for 30 years. You did not see an Ivory Bill in Alabama. Sorry to bust your bubble, but it isn't possible in Alabama. Daniel

[@NathanWebb-c5h]

@@DanielHHurt Yes, I did see an ivory-billed woodpecker because I recognized its call from the audio and saw where it was. Enterprise, Alabama is not too far from the Choctawhatchee River.

[@stephenbrand5661]

Man I was in college when everybody got so excited about them being back. It just sucks that all these people claim to see them but we haven't gotten a single convincing video since then.

[@footballnick2]

The places where they would be located are very hard to reach and thus footage is tough to be clear when you have a bird flying in a large, dense forest/swamp.

[@Lastmanstanding_1984]

Saw one near the Kiamichi River in the Hugo lake wildlife refuge in 2006. It was in a big flooded woods area.

[@banetrstenik85]

Let's hope for the best and amazing news soon 🍀Greetings and best wishes from Serbia

[@Glassandcandy]

There have been reports of Ivory Bills in the Pearl River drainage systems that were credible enough to be published in a high profile Ornithology journal. It makes sense, because that's some of the last suitable habitat that this species could have potentially survived in. Guess I'm going on a road/canoeing trip soon lol

[@Sleepless4Life]

Hey! Any updates? You can't just leave us hangin' out here.

[@DonkeySlayer33]

Everyone saying you saw one: You're wrong or lying

[@SQUAREHEADSAM1912]

Say that to the 2004 footage…

[@aaronrider4051]

It isn't extinct! There were more confirmed sightings (5 total birds) between 2004-08 than there were in 1924 when people had also assumed it was extinct! But if it does go extinct, it will be because public figures keep insisting it IS extinct, thus depriving it of habitat protection. If this extremely wary woodpecker can hang on in barely detectable numbers for almost a century, then maybe we should continue to regenerate old growth swamp forests.

[@bethwright8595]

I totally agree with you, @Aaron Rider, but USFWS does not have sufficient funding to keep chasing a ghost when there are hundreds of other species in danger of extinction, for which there are practical actions to be taken which will protect these creatures and plants, as well as critical habitat for them. We should absolutely promote conservation of bottomland forest habitat, but unfortunately I don't think that can be the role of the federal government at this point. Perhaps the forthcoming declaration of extinction will make people sit up and engage in further efforts to acquire conservation land in bottomland forest habitats. I daresay there may be opportunities for that with increasing flooding of agricultural communities farming the rich soil in river bottoms attributable to stronger storms and sea level rise resulting from climate change. I just now had a flash of inspiration in this regard!💡 Might a USDA program, potentially in collaboration with FEMA, be designed and funded to buy out these farmers and convert the land to conservation property? Meanwhile, the best thing we can do is support NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, whose Arkansas chapter raised enough money in the wake of Ivory-billed Woodpecker sightings in the Cache River basin back in the mid-2000s to add 70,000 acres to Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, a newer refuge established in the '80s for which there was a whole lot of unacquired land within the authorized refuge boundary. TNC has a lot of wealthy donors and they actively promoted this effort. I was working for Cornell Lab of Ornithology, supported by Audubon Arkansas, back then and multiple times was asked to take wealthy donors for canoe trips out in the swamp. TNC was totally on top of this and I give them a lot of credit for what they did back then! That's exactly the type of work we need at this point, in my opinion.

[@jasonwiggins6137]

@@bethwright8595 Removing Federal funding takes away from possible search and research of Ivory-bills in Cuba and possible search and research of Imperials in Mexico by American Biologists.

[@GodzillaKaijuGK]

that 2004 one was fake

[@josephortiz4826]

Ok so any sitings currently??

[@texasparksandwildlife]

While many people claim to have seen the Ivory Billed Woodpecker since that initial sighting in 2005, no proof is available documenting their existence today. But there are still organized efforts to keep looking and you can find out more about them here: www.birds.cornell.edu/home/the-search-for-the-ivory-billed-woodpecker/

[@jonathanyoung9369]

I have at least 2 of them in the woods behind my house, and although I watch birds in and around my property on a daily basis, I didn't know what the sound was until I saw a 60 Minutes piece years ago. And when I heard it, I was astounded; not just because I solved the audio mystery, but realized a bird that was once thought to be extinct, is still thriving.

[@jimlongino8420]

You are just seeing piliated. But you aren't alone.

[@jonathanyoung9369]

I am basing my observations on sound, not sight. Although they may look similar, Ivory's have a very unique sound that, in my opinion, cannot be confused with any other bird. KZbin "Ivory-billed call" and then "pileated call". If you have trouble distinguishing the two calls, I respectfully recommend you schedule an appointment with an audiologist.

[@jimlongino8420]

@@jonathanyoung9369 I recommend you see an optometrist. Those birds are long dead.

[@jonathanyoung9369]

Wishing a bird extinct and a bird actually being extinct are two separate issues. I cannot help you push your agenda for climate change simply by agreeing with you just to agree. I have the right to disagree with your opinion that I need to see an eye doctor (which actually doesn't make sense because 1) I am already visually impaired; and 2) I already explained that I identify animals by sound, not sight). I do have a keen sense of hearing though.

[@thechickenwizard8172]

@@jonathanyoung9369 can you manage to record them calling and post it online to a site like inaturalist? I want to believe too but the lack of solid evidence is a huge issue. If you're claims are true then you have to make an effort to gather some tangible evidence, it's really important.

[@philkenseben]

Its amazing how many people in the comments have seen this bird or is a regular visitor to their backyards. Must be loads of them all over the place. Just like bigfoot.

[@wildbirbs9797]

Broo that woodpecker... so beautiful

[@lexheath8276]

They aren't dead yet! Saw them regularly in 76-77, saw two in 22 & one yesterday.

[@jmd1743]

What's the highest resoution footage available? You probably could feed it through AI software to really increase the resolution & get rid of artifacts. I'm not really into birds but seeing how so many are passionate about this species I hope that pairings are discovered and protected.

[@GodzillaKaijuGK]

Not the same size. Ivory billed is bigger

[@Tsiri09]

I'm so glad it's not extinct. Gives hope for other species as well.

[@goognamgoognw6637]

It's extinct. they later re-assessed what they saw and decided that was a pileated. Further search turned nothing.

[@spearfisherman308]

When.

[@Jimmyandtony]

i think its extinct. I hope not but I think it is

[@goognamgoognw6637]

@@Jimmyandtony So the other day i was in the deep woods among tall mixed pine/hardwood trees and river swamp area. And i heard again that bird call which sounds funny, high up in the trees and reverberating among the cathedral like many trees. It's a beautiful sound and i thought it cannot be... I followed a trail in that direction, i had no hope to see anything. But then minutes later it repeated and i knew immediately that the sound was in visual distance range. My eyes scanned high up the trunks of many tall trees making a cathedral like sound above a canyon forest floor that was dug by one of the river arms now dry. And there it was hopping around a trunk. I first saw the red 'huppe' on the head. My breathing stopped as i knew the next second i will see if if it is a Pileated or an Ivory woodpecker. And my eyes saw., that it was a Pileated woodpecker male, not an Ivory. It of course knew of my presence. Seconds later it flew maybe only 20 meters to another tree probably wary of my presence and i lost visual track of it. Everything was perfect in this sighting and all the conditions were present for it to be an Ivory, though it wasn't. I was still very happy because it's my first large woodpecker sighting.

[@Jimmyandtony]

@@goognamgoognw6637its cool you saw a pileated. I want to believe that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker is still alive but they are so similar to pileated woodpeckers that its hard to tell from blurry footage. There is lots of swampy marsh habitat with tall cedar trees that would be perfect for an Ivory Billed Woodpecker but one Ivory Billed Woodpecker's habitat is so expansive that, even if it was there, it would not be seen. I want to believe that it's there because it's such an amazing creature but I don't think it's here

[@Woody728]

Thank you! That was interesting😊

[@taramansion]

I so hope they're back! We so need to restore native trees and other plants in our yards and maybe we can reverse time for the animals we've wronged over the course of human history!

[@ailanycastillo1972]

What do you do if you’ve seen one? Just keep it to yourself?

[@DanielHHurt]

Well, if you've seen one you've seen them all. Would be wise. Why make a fool of your self? Daniel

[@tedpedraza5253]

I see a lot of the Pileated woodpeckers and when I do I keep it to myself, people just don’t see birds that are 2’ tall in Houston Tx.

[@3coins.]

I remember hearing that sound as a child in Southern Arkansas.

[@mbhenry4825]

I search this up because I thought I seen one, but it was the pileated😂

[@rogerdiogo6893]

You vote Democrat too, when we say we seen ivorybill, you start to talk about pileated. 😁

[@nalonabrato8900]

Wow! ❤️

[@josefinandersson7646]

How ig is the area? EveHow big is the area?

[@TheStockwell]

It's amazing how many people are claiming to have seen the extinct Ivory-billed woodpecker - and want us to take their word for it. No photos, no video. Spoiler alert: no evidence means you're looking at a Pileated woodpecker. You're welcome! 😸

[@thecomingman1591]

I am so saddened by the apparent extinction of another beautiful animal, one of God's creations. It is criminal and another example of man's greed and self-interest.

[@DanielHHurt]

Exactly, It is Criminal, and Greedy. Take it from an old Game Warden with 30 years experience. Daniel

[@ryoamora8655]

I really saw an Ivory Billed Woodpecker, before going to school, made a loud pecking sound, looked up at a tree and there was a large bird. Around 1976, one of the last sightings in that year...No, it wasn't a Pileated, either. Lol

[@bethwright8595]

@Ryo Amora: Where were you when this happened? There are no indisputably documented sightings from that period, the last being in the 1940s. I'd definitely be interested to know where you saw what you saw, and how you know it was not another species of large woodpecker like a Pileated Woodpecker. But maybe you were pulling people's chain because you said LOL at the end?

[@DanielHHurt]

In Mexico maybe?

[@raihothexiv15th37]

@@DanielHHurt Hey “Daniel idiot” , the Imperial Woodpecker and the Ivory Billed Woodpecker are NOT THE SAME THING.

[@DanielHHurt]

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker -- If you've seen one you've seen them all. Daniel

[@sriddle3569]

I seen a bird like this in Clay Co Alabama circa 2015

[@OfDaSouth]

big if true

[@GodzillaKaijuGK]

Well you know there might be like a tiny bit left because they were hunted down by humans a and humans might now know that the didn’t kill them alk

[@paulabrown5243]

Wow! Close to where I live.

[@michaelbeaster2921]

I saw a flock of them in my backyard a couple weeks ago. As luck would have it, i couldnt quite get to my camera in time, shucks.

[@johncaze757]

Wait really?

[@momster93]

One of these stopped on my balcony railing of my apartment a few years back. I remember being startled by the sound and when I saw it I stopped in my tracks because I saw how big it was and it’s red on the head and big yellow eyes. It had a silver ring around its foot too. It’s like it stopped to say hello. We studied each other for a moment and then it flew away. I’ll never forget it

[@DanielHHurt]

Trick or Treat?

[@Cycodude]

probably a pileated

[@richardwadd9769]

What the scientists are trying to work out is which type of woodpecker was Woody Woodpecker?

[@supermanprime9596]

No they weren’t. Go get a brain.

[@elizabethklein7073]

@@supermanprime9596 I am assuming he is making a joke. The pileated is based on Woody Woodpecker. What's interesting about the pileated is that there is a native american legend about the pileated being a trickster. Which is more than likely happening over the past 15 or so years - the pileated is tricking everyone who sees it from a distance into seeing an ivory bill.

[@joshuasmith1215]

That footage was not conclusive of anything.

[@JD-zh1el]

I saw an ivory billed woodpecker in my backyard two (2) weeks ago in Crestview, Florida. The bird is relatively large (about two feet). I wish I had recorded it.

[@jrsoper6524]

I live in Arkansas, I have a family living here in the Ozarks, I will not give my location, sorry , be happy they are still alive.

[@Taylor_the_birder]

Sorry their Pileated woodpeckers

[@franklubbock8400]

I done seent one in San Antone in 2005. I didn’t know what it was but just a cool woodpecker.

[@bluedestiny684]

These birds feed in my yard. They are white underneath. I don’t know if these are imperial because one of the chicks has a black head. They are huge as well. I just seen the mom and she was almost unrecognizable because of her size. Leave me a message if interested I the location. Daily appearance

[@christinachick3564]

If you're seeing this bird, please contact your local ornithologist department ! Usually in a university!

[@elliemartin8957]

if it is white underneath, its a pileated.

[@TheAtroShow]

I have these in my back yard. I cannot find a place that has current links to report it to.

[@DanielTaylorOCMD]

Ebird, Inaturalist, social media are all places that if you post an IBW you WILL get a response.

[@SYoder-lt5jf]

Ivory billed woodpecker was spotted at our compost site in Emmaus, PA. I have a video of it. It is rare but not extinct.

[@Joe-nh9fy]

Can you upload the video?

[@bunniezzz777]

Please post the video! 🙏🏼

[@thechickenwizard8172]

I also saw a unicorn in my driveway. Took a video of it too. Seriously though, please post the video if you're being sincere. This is an important matter at hand.

[@DanielHHurt]

@@thechickenwizard8172 That's a good one. Daniel

[@carywest9256]

@@thechickenwizard8172 l like that about the unicorn, most people are just full of it. If ya got video evidence, trot it on out and become famous! The birds location isn't that important because of how people are.

[@heathergustafson4237]

Now let’s preserve.

[@raymonddaye1706]

I am quite certain an ivory Bill was in my yard. I could not see he head but the black and white was very clear. We have several pileated woodpeckers, one that nests in a hole in a sycamore tree on the steam bank. Anytime I spot a bird that isnt familiar I look them up immediately. The ivory bill is the only one that fits the description of what I observed.

[@backwashh]

Who else is watching for APES

[@crimsonblitz1245]

Is the pileated woodpecker related to the ivory billed?

[@goognamgoognw6637]

it's his closest relative, and we should focus on fighting banks and the existing financial system that assumes limitless currency printing which translates to limitless destruction of nature for ressources, forest and Pileated woodpecker habitat.

[@mr.d00m37]

@@goognamgoognw6637 Incorrect. The closest relative to the ivory-billed woodpecker is the pale-backed woodpecker.

[@professorsogol5824]

@@mr.d00m37 What is the scientific name for your Pale-backed woodpecker? The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds (Torres, 1987) does on include a woodpecker with that name either as a common name sanctioned by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union or as an alternative "other name" applied historically or locally. The Ivory-billed (Campephilus principalis) is in the genus Campephilus, which Wikipedia says contains 11 species, none of which have a common name of "pale-backed." Perhaps you are referring to the Cream-backed woodpecker (Campephilus leucopogon) which is native to South America? The Wikipedia page on the Ivory-billed states that the Ivory-billed, the Cuban ivory-billed (C. p. bairdii) and the imperial woodpecker (C. imperialis, extinct but was endemic to Mexico) form a North American clade within Campephilus. Or perhaps you are referring to the Pale-BILLED woodpecker [emphasis added], C. guatemalensis, that has a range from Northern Mexico to Panama (Wikipedia)

[@nl4064]

best way to find = deploy bait stations with fat, nuts, seeds and remote cameras I always find

[@JA51711]

Wow

[@WilliamWagner-hq9ut]

HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIVE IT? THAT SAYS IT ALL.

[@carywest9256]

Well it's June5,2023 and l ain't heard tell of no ivory billed's being seen here in Deep East Texas. Iffen l do l'll let ya know.

[@jomon723]

They just have to band them ..something to do I guess

[@detiforoowa]

I remember seeing one in my woods, I am in P.A, and I swear I saw 2 of them. They were like the size of hawks, and I know the difference between a red headed woodpecker and those things...

[@danielbarber4572]

pileated woodpecker

[@detiforoowa]

@@danielbarber4572 oh yea, most definitely it was probably those

[@wesb123]

They had a chance to sell the Springer track to conservation and save the species but decided the lumber profits were more important. Ain’t that as American as apple pie 🇺🇸

[@JA51711]

🙏🙏🙏

[@MultiFisherofmen]

I just got footage of one here in Holly lake ranch Texas. I’m sitting under a tree watching it now

[@raihothexiv15th37]

Maybe post it then instead of possibly lying and saying all this for attention?

[@bradharrison5293]

Some weird very loud sounds at night out there in the big thicket.

[@desertflower3996]

Am I the only person who hears a woodpecker tapping at a tree and think it's the Predator?

[@jasonsechrist1]

I would say the American chestnut blight has something to do with the demise of this bird.

[@reptiledysfunction5512]

Nope. It was the wholesale clear cutting of the virgin old growth swamp forest in the deep south.

[@DanielHHurt]

That was/is the Red Headed Woodpecker. Daniel

[@Nimrod336]

I lived in Louisiana, 20 yrs ago I had one that lived around my neighborhood in baton rouge

[@markdecoto6046]

Better chance of filming sasquatch.

[@audradye349]

I knew where a mating pair was in Arcadia Fl. In 1992 and called the Audubon Society with the findings. Incredible feeling to see a pair come into the yard and sit and watch them. Once in a lifetime!!

[@gus473]

@@audradye349 You saw the Sasquatch....? 🤔

[@francocatalioti6274]

I seen one in south jersey not too long ago!

[@sharpthingsinspace9721]

Better chance finding Bigfoot, is this channel about real bird watching?

[@calicoasting]

I saw one in Livingston Texas in 2016.

[@1.4142]

rip

[@nicmaz37]

CLICK BAITED, ALMOST LIKE BEING RICK ROLLED!!!!!!!!

[@joshuamitcham1519]

This bird is NOT extinct. I live in Splendora Texas and have a foot tall bird in my White Oak right now,although I'm sure it lives in the Sweetgum tree beside the oak.

[@mainstmechanical7932]

Millions of tax payers dollars and all they did was put metal bands on an otherwise wild animal.

[@jimbird963]

Well seems lk every one has seen one what’s the point

[@nunyabusiness1003]

Not extinct.. not very common but not extinct. Just saw one a couple months ago in south east Texas

[@Theoldman27]

If you had actually seen one then you should have recorded it. Because it has now been officially declared extinct by the government.

[@nunyabusiness1003]

@@Theoldman27 there are dozens of animals once thought to be extinct but aren’t. The government is stupid.

[@nunyabusiness1003]

@@Theoldman27 they are just trying to pull on people heart strings so they can blame it on climate change

[@Theoldman27]

@@nunyabusiness1003 It's literally been 77 years since a documented sighting. The government may be stupid but this woodpecker is long gone. It should have be declared extinct years ago.

[@nunyabusiness1003]

@@Theoldman27 I just told you I’ve seen one myself while fishing. There is also a video on KZbin of one spotted in the swamp not too long ago. You have to remember “documented” means government official or scientist. That doesn’t mean anything. How often and how much time do you think they spend looking for it? Don’t believe everything you read. Especially when it’s from a government bureaucrat.

[@billkaldem5099]

When they saw that video they immediately closed a big chunk of that area to duck hunting. Made many people say even if they had definitive proof they’d never report it.

[@DanielHHurt]

Good Point. Never underestimate the influence and deception of a Duck Hunter. Daniel

[@billkaldem5099]

@@DanielHHurt any pissed off hunter. However you are correct about the influence part. To duck hunt the delta especially private land you better have deep pockets or be in a position of influence

[@billkaldem5099]

Yup. Or have family that farms there.

[@larrymorris6896]

The problem with this assumption is, it's incorrect! There are still a few ivory billed woodpeckers still living the Talladega National Forrest in Alabama.

[@verity520]

I'm in Alabama and I've seen one, white wings and everything!

[@OfDaSouth]

big if true

[@5LbSquirrel]

"Snakes are out. Can't say I like that." - someone who claims to be a biologist. Embarrassing

[@PanamaSticks]

I'm sorry, but how do you know you haven't traumatized those nestlings or scared away the parents, by bringing the babies down, and tagging them? Why not just leave them alone?

[@texasparksandwildlife]

Tagging and handling the nestlings does not discourage the mother from taking care of them, and these birds are being monitored and managed very closely. The purpose of that particular area is to help those birds reproduce, which is why they're taking a more active role.

[@kevinsnyder8448]

I think there is still a small population of the ivorybills down south . If not reverse genetics will do. Then maybe they can bring back the passenger pigeon. LoL.But we got bigger troubles like finding an honest to goodness politician. I'm pretty sure they are extinct

[@carywest9256]

That only happened one time about the politician- George Washington

[@PandorasJunkJournals]

Depressing