Ivory Billed Woodpecker Thing

This whole Ivory Billed Woodpecker controversy has me at odds. While I really wish to believe this bird has come back from the dead, I'm not really throwing my lot in with those who say it exists. Now, the reputations of those who say the bird lives are quality but there is $27 million at stake here. One would think for $27 million the public would be more interested - but then again, we are at war and no one seems to notice except for a vague notion that the price of gas is going up, how annoying. Just for the heck of it here is a summary from Mystery Woodpecker Upends a Bird Lover's Life

Unlike reports of past sightings, this one seemed so solid that it provoked only elation, a public sigh of relief and wonder. The re-discoverers floated on the almost palpable gratitude of birders and others who treated the news as a sign of hope.

Until now.

Three scientists have a paper in the works at the Public Library of Science challenging the report in Science. No details have been released, but there are other signs of doubt.

David Allen Sibley, the prominent American birder and the author of popular field guides, said Thursday that he had concluded that in the Science paper, "the evidence they've presented falls short of proof."

Mr. Sibley said he decided this independently of the three scientists who wrote the rebuttal, although he had been in contact with them.

Kenn Kaufman, another major birding author, also said in an interview that he was not satisfied with the evidence. Although he said he believed the sighting was real, he did not think the re-discoverers had proved their case.

Mr. Harrison said that he could not comment on an unpublished paper, but that he was confident in the finding, and welcomed a scientific discussion.

"I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner," Mr. Harrison said.

Nor do the critics question his integrity or that of Mr. Gallagher or of the other authors of the Science paper.

"The people who originally announced this thoroughly believe they got an ivory-billed woodpecker," said Mark B. Robbins of the University of Kansas, one of the three scientists preparing the challenge to the Science report. "They believe one thing, we believe another. This is how science plays out, the fabric of science getting at the truth."...

...Usually, scientists and birders are skeptical. In fact, Mr. Kaufman said, "I've actually been shocked that virtually everyone has been embracing this."

He added, "I do in fact believe that there was a bird there last year, but it hasn't been proven and we could have a more honest discussion if people accept the fact that we don't have proof."

Mr. Sibley is unconvinced. At first, he, too, was elated, and went down to Arkansas for 10 days to look for the ivory bill without success.

It was only when he returned, he said, that he began to think critically about the Science report. "It's really crushing to come to the conclusion that it might not be true, that there is room for some reasonable doubt."

He has been reluctant to speak publicly about his doubts, and described doubters as being treated as "heretics" in online discussions.

The reason he is speaking out now, he said, is that he worried that money might be diverted from other conservation efforts.

now this is only part of the article so visit the NY Times for the rest. And here is a couple of photos from Harvard collection taken from the Harvard Gazette page:

Tim Gallagher at the Harvard collection with Jeremiah Trimble, curatorial assistant in the Museum of Comparative Zoology's Ornithology Department.