Mission Ivorybill

Twenty-one years ago today, Tim Gallagher and Bobby Harrison saw a FEMALE Ivorybill. Some of the other accepted sightings from the Big Woods of Arkansas in 2004-5 were of a MALE Ivorybill.

Thanks to Tim and Bobby for helping keep this magnificent species from being declared extinct! In their honor, here is a program on Bobby's 2020 video.

Is This an Ivory-billed Woodpecker? Bobby Harrison Presents His 2020 Video and Analysis 𝗕𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 is an experienced and accomplished Ivorybill searcher. On February 27, 2004, Bobby and 𝗧𝗶𝗺 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 saw an Ivory-bil...

Tonight's Zoom presentation focuses on misconceptions about the Ivorybill.

One of my biggest misconceptions was that HABITAT DESTRUCTION was the only explanation for the rapid decline of the species. In one of our previous Zooms, Brewster Medal winner, Geoff Hill made a compelling argument that HUNTING PRESSURE was the major cause of the plummeting numbers of Ivorybills.

This is such a critical insight. If the cause of the decline were habitat destruction, then Ivorybills could have been doomed to extinction because there simply wasn't enough good habitat for survival. The hunting hypothesis, on the other hand, provides more hope regarding the successful recovery of the species. Hunting pressure can (and has been) GREATLY (if not completely) improved. Habitat destruction, however, cannot be quickly remedied.

If you like nature and conservation, all of Dr. Hill's excellent presentation is worth a listen. If you just want to listen to the few minutes regarding the hunting pressure theory, start at the 16:30 mark of the video:

Dr. Geoff Hill on Extinction Brewster Medal-winning ornithologist, 𝗗𝗿. 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹, provides an excellent overview of extinction in North America. He also explains why he think...

(From John Williams)-- Going over some notes, thought to share this again for newer readers; it was presented as a Mission Ivorybill Zoom. All it takes is one person to get the reasoning, use or adapt an idea, and get definitive evidence--

Improving The Odds To Get A Definitive IB Image.pdf