The Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) is the largest woodpecker in North America. It is about the size of an American Crow and is similar in appearance to the relatively common Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Click here for a comparison of the two birds (511KB PDF file).
About ibwo.org
ibwo.org is about my involvement with the Ivory-billed Woodpecker rediscovery in Arkansas and my conviction that it is important to conserve the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas and other natural areas of our world.
I became involved in the search shortly after the initial sighting by Gene Sparling. After spending many hours in the swamp I captured a video of the bird in April 2004. My interest and involvement continues, and this website is my way of sharing it with you.
You can read more about my searching on the Search History page.
Terri Luneau (my wife) wrote Big Woods Bird: An Ivory-bill Story, the first children's book on the subject of searching for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. We use the book to talk to children about the importance of conservation and to try to inspire them to learn more about birds and the natural world around them.
Hardback and paperback editions available
ibwo.org Home - May 10, 2008
A beautiful day in the swamp - Gene Sparling and I led a canoe trip on Bayou De View for The Nature Conservancy on May 9. The water was about 4' lower than its peak in April, the temperature was pleasant, the mosquitoes were few and far between, and the birds were singing even at noon. Water snakes were plentiful, and we saw a moccasin or two. A opossum even tried to get in one of the canoes during our lunch break.
Speaking of The Nature Conservancy - I can't say enough good things about the work this organization does. If you want to help with the IBWO, they will do a great job with your money.
Water, water, everywhere! On both April 11 and 17 the water in Bayou De View was very high. This is the highest I have seen the water in Bayou De View in the four years I have been frequenting the place. See some more pictures from 4/11/08 including some bird pictures.
Irfanview - Yes, it's a strange name, but it's a piece of free software for viewing images, and it works much better than Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, which is what I have used for the past few years. I have updated my Reconyx review tips page to describe how to review images using Irfanview.
KATV report - The local ABC affiliate in Little Rock ran an update on 2/8 on the status of the search. Feb 11, 2008 was the four-year anniversary of Gene Sparling's sighting of an IBWO in Arkansas. Read the story here (you can also watch the video).
Errors in Science - An article in the 17 August 2007 edition of the journal Science titled "Gambling on a Ghost Bird" attempted to summarize the history of the rediscovery in Arkansas as well as the current status of the bird. There were numerous errors of fact made by the author, which I address here. I made no attempt to address the errors made in the form of quotes by Jackson, Prum, Sibley, and others - just the errors made by Erik Stolstad, the author. (I submitted the errors to Science but they opted not to publish them. It troubles me that a journal of such high reputation is not interested in correcting errors in "news" stories. Even newspapers offer corrections when they make mistakes.)
Great quote - This quote summarizes my thoughts regarding conservation and how each of us can help: "In the end we will conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught."
Baba Dioum, 1968
$10,000 Reward - The Nature Conservancy and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission have teamed up and offered a reward for information that leads to a photo or video of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Read about it here.