The Ivory-billed Woodpecker

late 1800s - 1944 CE

“Once found in virgin forests throughout much of the southeastern United States and up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers throughout its range the Ivory–billed woodpecker was associated with extensive old-growth forests the solitude of wilderness and the availability of immense beetle larvae that were its principal food. Hunting and destruction of its realm have led to its current status as one of the rarest birds in the world or extinct.“ In 2005, a possible sighting of the bird caused a global outpouring of hope and excitement that this magnificent bird was not yet extinct. Extensive searches have proved at this point inconclusive.

- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Maya Lin

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  • Support protection and restoration of large bottomland hardwood forests in the Southeast, the bird’s historic habitat.

  • Reduce your paper and timber footprint by choosing FSC-certified wood products.

  • Support conservation efforts that safeguard mature, swampy forests from logging, fragmentation, and development.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HOW TO HELP

Visit:

film: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

sound: Cornell Lab of Ornithology