case study 1

The ivory billed woodpecker was common in parts of the United States until it was last seen in 1944. However in late 2004 a bird was seen that was thought to be an ivory billed woodpecker. Between this first sighting and April 2005 there was a total of seven sighting of this bird one of which was caught on video. Though the bird has been viewed from a distance there are five diagnostic features that indicate this bird is the ivory billed woodpecker. The first feature being the size of the bird is seen in the video captured. The video shows the size of the bird allowing onlookers to compare the wing span the bird has as opposed to the pileated woodpecker. The second and third features involve the bird’s wing pattern when at rest and when in flight. The video and pictures taken are hard to conclude but the pictures are evident of being an ivory billed woodpecker. The last feature is the black and white aspect of the bird. The color pattern of the ivory billed woodpecker is black and white but in a different combination than that of its similar pileated woodpecker relative. Though the evidence is questionable it has been determined by researchers that the bird in discussion is not the pileated woodpecker. More research is being constructed while hope to see the ivory billed woodpecker grow in population continues.