The Ivory-Bill is back?

OK, so I still haven't unearthed the camera. I'm too busy trying to get the kitchen in order. I hate trying to cook in a messy kitchen. We bought cork (from Williams-Sonoma :) to line the shelves, but I have serious cork cutting and measuring disabilities, so I have to wait until Ron can finish it to put everything away. Thank goodness there's an artist in this house! But I digress...

My real point was the news about the ivory-billed woodpecker. It was seen first maybe in 2004 by a kayaker? This was in the big woods of Arkansas. Since then, Cornell University has led the main thrust of the investigation into whether ivory-bills still exist. They were thought to have been extinct since the 1940's. Now sightings have even been reported in the panhandle of Florida! Now I have to say, that the ivory-bill seems very distinct (to me) from the pileated woodpecker. They have a wide white wing bar (visible in flight and at rest) that would not be visible in the pileated. They also have a huge ivory colored bill. The pileated's is smaller and darker. Furthermore, they are larger overall with one white stripe along the neck instead of two, and the female has a black crest instead of red like the pileated. All of those things could make for some very conclusive identification. My feeling on it is this: If bird experts saw it and say it's an ivory-bill, then they are most likely right. It's just very exciting that an extinct species may prove to be still alive after all.

If you go to the Cornell site, there are lots of sound files, photos and a video a man shot accidentally that shows the flash of white barred black wings through the forest. Looks like an ivory bill to me! :) I can't wait until they find conclusive proof. I wish I could sign up for that volunteer position to help look for them!