Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers

So, I know I have mentioned Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers before, but this time I have a whole report on them. Here you go.

Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers

Campephilus Principalis

What if you found out that Dodo Birds weren’t extinct? Well, the same thing happened with Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers. In the 19^th century, the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker’s population started to decline. By the mid 1900’s they were thought to be extinct.  For fifty years they were considered to be deceased. But in April 2005 a man caught video camera footage of an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker along the Cache River in Arkansas. 

Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers are beautiful creatures. Males have a beautiful red patch located behind their eyes.  Females do not. Though, both genders of this bird have an exotic ivory colored beak. But, it is not made of ivory; actually, it is made of bone. The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker’s colors include white, [on the inside of their wings and around their neck,] black, [their main color,] and red, [only for the males.] The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker has an average wingspan of 30-31inches and a body length of 18-20 inches. They weigh up to 16-20 ounces [450-570g.]

Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers live throughout the southeastern United States.  They like wooded areas with access to water.  These birds require an area in which there are a variety of dead trees. These trees vary from pines to cabbage palmetto to bald cypress to sugarberry, and red maple. Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers like dead trees because they can peck at them and eat some of the dead, dry bark.

           Though Ivory -Billed Woodpeckers do eat dry bark, their primary foods are bugs and insects. Dry bark isn’t the only food they eat that is associated with trees; they also eat beetle larvae. To get the larvae, Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers peck behind the dry bark on dead trees and eat the food beneath it.

Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers are thought to couple for life. These birds usually mate every year between January and May. Generally two to five eggs are laid at a time. The usual time span the eggs are kept warm is three to five weeks. The young woodpeckers typically learn to fly seven or eight weeks after they have hatched.  Parents keep feeding their hatchlings two months after they’re born.  The average life span for an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is around 20-30 years.

 Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers are very interesting creatures. They are one of the largest woodpeckers in the world. These birds are thought to be the largest woodpecker north of Mexico or the third largest woodpecker in the world.  Sources vary and some say that Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers are the largest woodpecker in the world. The largest woodpecker that was known to live is the Imperial woodpecker. Though sadly, this magnificent bird is now extinct.  The last video of an Imperial was taken in 1956 around the time when Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers became extinct.

            

            The idea of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker still existing is a fascinating concept. Who knows if the man who took the video really found the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker? There have been further sightings, but not of them have been confirmed, just like the video made in 2005. If none of them were real, so much would be lost. Then, the bird would be extinct. Know one will ever see a woodpecker with an ivory beak hammering away at dry bark ever again. Not a single person will ever be able to see this amazing creature roaming through the forests of Arkansas.

Bibliography

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/worlds-only-video-of-extinct-giant-woodpecker-discovered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory-billed_Woodpecker

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/best_place_species/current_top_10/ivory_billed_woodpecker.cfm

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bird/ ivory-billed-woodpecker/

www.ivorybill.org 

www.allaboutwildlife/ivory-billed-woodpecker

http://newsnationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/0428_050428_extinctwoodpecker.html   

Stay posted,

Nina