Three Rivers Birding Club
Bi-monthly Membership Meeting
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
University of Pittsburgh,
Graduate School of Public Health Auditorium

Ron Rohrbaugh, director of Cornell’s Ivory-billed Woodpecker Research Project, provided a fascinating account of the Ivory-bill’s history to an entranced audience of 138, the largest group to attend a 3RBC meeting. Many were first time attendees. A half hour of socializing preceded the meeting. President Jack Solomon opened the meeting at 7:30 PM. Jack suspended the usual order of business to maximize the time available for Ron’s presentation. Pitt Biology Professor Anthony Bledsoe, who arranged for the use of the spacious and comfortable auditorium for us, introduced Ron. (The meeting was moved to Pitt from its usual venue in order to accommodate a larger than usual audience.)

Ron’s very effective PowerPoint presentation utilized art, photos, maps, and diagrams to trace the story of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (IBWO) in bottomland hardwood forests from the Carolinas to Texas to its possible habitat today. Early naturalists Catesby, Wilson, and Audubon painted it. Audubon feared its eventual extinction despite its seemingly large numbers. The exploitation of southern lumber by the railroads and northern industries rapidly led to the demise of much of the Ivory-bill’s habitat before the twentieth century. William Brewster and Frank Chapman “killed hundreds of Ivory-bills to fill specimen collections.” By the 1920’s many considered the species to be extinct.

In 1924 Arthur A. Allen, founder of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, visited Florida to test new photography equipment. He was led to a pair of Ivory bills and was the first to photograph the species. This became known as the rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. In 1935 Allen took the first motion picture of the species in the huge Singer Tract of bottomland forests in Louisiana, and James Tanner and Peter Paul Kellogg made the first sound recording of the IBWO. Tanner did his dissertation on the IBWO. His “The Ivory-billed Woodpecker” is considered to be the bible concerning the Ivory bill. Large sections of the Singer Tract and other southern forests were cleared for World War II needs. The last generally accepted sighting of the IBWO was in 1944. Despite many reported sightings of the IBWO after 1944, scientists and the general public believed it to be extinct.

Gene Sparling’s sighting of an Ivory-bill in eastern Arkansas on February 11, 2004, kept quiet at first, eventually made headlines and drew great public interest. Tim Gallagher and Bobby Harrison, two long-time searchers for the IBWO, briefly saw the bird while being led by Sparling. Their individual reports led to Cornell’s decision of the necessity of searching for the species. Ron explained Cornell’s strategy. Secrecy allowed the researchers better opportunities to collect data and to present it formally in a prominent magazine such as Science.

Ron’s slides impressed the audience with the difficulties involved in searching the bottomland hardwood forests for the woodpecker. Earlier he had quoted James Tanner as comparing the search to trying to find “a flying needle in a haystack.” The small group of researchers had good luck with four definite sightings and the famous David Luneau video. Ron showed the video several times, at regular speed, slowed to 1/8 speed, and zoomed into the image of the bird, as Ron explained how the Cornell scientists interpreted the video. He emphasized the white trailing edges of the bird’s wings in flight and the large white triangle on the back formed by the folding of the wings. The audience reacted strongly to the video. Photos and diagrams compared the Pileated (PIWO) and the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. Ron emphasized scientists carefully examined 153 videos of Pileateds in flight and measured the tree that the IBWO initially clung to in the video to decide that the bird was an Ivory-bill.

A second search was initiated to try to collect definitive evidence. An additional sighting occurred, but the most interesting evidence was the recording of kent-like sounds and double knocks indicative of Ivory-bills. Ron played these, the original recordings of the IBWO, and the sounds of other woodpecker species for comparison.

After Science magazine accepted a paper concerning the IBWO research, a leak occurred. This forced the team to hurriedly organize data and call a press conference. After initial public euphoria several prominent ornithologists, including David Sibley, contended that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that the bird was an IBWO rather than a PIWO. Ron discussed the critics concerns and why he disagreed with them.

Another search from November of 2005 to April of 2006 involved over 20 paid full-time researchers and 112 volunteers. Time-lapse video systems and cameras triggered by heat or by motion were used. Researchers systematically searched cavities, feeding signs, and habitat. Ron believes that the use of the technology is how scientists will learn about the IBWO. There were four possible sightings and double knocks were heard.

Ron stated that the Cornell team will continue to search in Arkansas and will work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service outside of Arkansas. There are 18 forest systems of 100,000 acres or larger suitable for Ivory-bills’ habitat within the United States. Cornell will cooperate with the Fish and Wildlife Service to systematically search these areas. Ron acknowledged the help of various partnership groups on federal, state, and national level, such as The Nature Conservancy, and many individuals. People can help conservation by joining various environmental organizations and participating in programs such as Cornell’s Citizen Science.

A question and answer session followed enthusiastic applause. Ron indicated that there are sightings in other states but they are not confirmed. He said that the research program costs about a million dollars a year and the special cameras about $1,500 apiece. People can send contributions to the Cornell IBWO program by going to www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/ and clicking on the IBWO. Ron stated that about 90% of the local populace have had a positive reaction to the Ivory-bill’s discovery. Many see economic benefits stemming from the interest in the woodpecker. Some humorous slides in the program had illustrated some commercial efforts including Ivory-billed haircuts. Ron does not believe that the interest in the IBWO has had a negative impact upon the habitat of the woodpecker since it is such a large area and the number of birders has not been overwhelming.

We thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and look forward to seeing the research results in future years.

Submitted by Pat and Sherron Lynch
Co-secretaries of Three Rivers Birding Club