Amazing Discovery

Although this doesn't really fall under my typical portfolio of subjects to cover, I must comment just briefly on some exciting news that broke just today. After being lost and presumed extinct for more than sixty years, several sightings of a very rare Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) have been confirmed in the journal Science. The full article in PDF form is available here. A video of one of the sightings is also available here, in Quicktime format.

The first sighting was reported on Febuary 11, 2004 in a bayou in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe County, Arkansas. Fifteen visual and audio sightings of the birds were made, including one as recently as this month. "This is huge. Just huge," said a senior ornithologist with the National Audubon Society, according to a Reuters report from this afternoon. Cornell's John Fitzpatrick commented "This is the most spectacular creature we could ever imagine rediscovering. For three generations this bird has been a symbol of the great old forests of the southern United States. It is a flagship of the blunders of excess of overharvesting. Nothing could be more hoped for than this Holy Grail."

After word of the viewings began leaking out recently, an official announcement was made today, with the "Departments of Agriculture and Interior announc[ing] a $10 million initiative to lease, buy and encourage the conservation of more land in the region." The exact location of the sightings have been kept from the public for the time being, in order to allow stabilization efforts to continue so that no further damage is done to its current habitat in the area. Thankfully, some of the area at least is already under federal protected status, and with new funds it is my great hope that more of the region can be purchased and preserved.

To their great credit, Administration officials have responded quickly and effectively to this tremendously important re-discovery of one of America's most impressive avian species. Said Interior Secretary Gale Norton today: "This is a rare second chance to preserve through cooperative conservation what was once thought lost forever. Decisive conservation action and continued progress through partnerships are now required. I will appoint the best talent in the US Fish and Wildlife Service and local citizens to develop a ... conservation plan to save the ivory-billed woodpecker." More than $10 million in federal funds, Norton said, will be used "for research or monitoring, recovery planning and public education. In addition, the funds will be used to enhance law enforcement and conserve habitat through conservation easements, safe-harbot agreements and conservations reserves."

Matching funds from private sector groups and citizens will be expected to exceed the $10 million offered by the federal government, Norton said, especially as word spreads of this discovery.

As an amateur birder myself, I just have to say, this finding is a tremendous one for so very many reasons, the "second chance" of it all being not least among them. Once a species comes as close to the brink as the ivory-bill has, a sudden reappearance is nothing short of miraculous. Now we all - every one of us - have a duty to do all we can to see that this species is protected from the ravages of industry and that what is left of its fragile deep-woods swamp habitat remains intact and viable. I certainly will continue to do my part, on-blog and off, to make sure that today's Americans and tomorrow's will someday be able to catch a glimpse of the bird "that has been called the Lord God bird, apparently because when people saw it they would be so impressed they would utter an involuntary 'Lord God!'" [from the New York Times article on the subject this afternoon].

Not to mention the fact that this is a true testament to the importance of our national parks and wildlife refuges system! Thank you T.R. (and listen up, G.W.)

For further reading/viewing/listening:
- National Audubon Society press release.
- Nature Conservancy's Ivory-billed site.
- Cornell University's "Rediscovering the Ivory-billed Woodpecker" site.
- NPR on the rediscovery from this morning.