The ivory-billed woodpecker has generated disputes among scientists and “conspiracy-minded” internet chatter.
By Dino Grandoni, The Washington PostTommy Michot, 72, left, and Mark Michaels, 63, search for signs of ivory-billed woodpeckers at an undisclosed location in Louisiana on Dec. 7, 2022.
For years, many presumed the phantom-like bird had vanished for good, even as disputed sightings by others fuel hope it is still out there. But on Monday, agency officials said they are giving themselves more time to consider all the evidence before making that decision final. It is unclear when the agency will make a final determination on the status of the ivory bill.
Fish and Wildlife is looking through the recordings and testimonials submitted by the public, with an eye toward “clear video or photographic evidence of the presence of the ivory-billed woodpecker that can be repeatedly interpreted the same way by independent observers,” the agency said last year. In May, Latta and his colleagues published this and other footage, including trail camera and audio recordings, in a peer-reviewed paper in the journal Ecology and Evolution.But he added the climate around the ivory bill is “polarizing.” He wondered if even a National Geographic-quality photo would be enough to convince many detractors. Some people even think ivory bill photos from the 1930s were faked, he noted.
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