Stalking the Ghost Bird - 9780807181744

Louisiana State University Press

Stalking the Ghost BirdThe Elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Louisiana\nAuthor(s): Michael K. Steinberg\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Louisiana State University Press, United States\nImprint: Louisiana State University Press\nISBN-13: 9780807181744, 978-0807181744\nSynopsis\nWhen a kayaker thought he spotted an ivory-billed woodpecker in 2004, the birding community took notice. Two birders traveled to the bayou where the sighting occurred, well aware that the last confirmed sighting of an ivory-bill had taken place over sixty years ago. Both men caught a glimpse of the bird, and a team began to search the surrounding swamplands. Even after long hours of surveillance and multiple sightings, the scientists cautiously refused to disclose their rediscovery of the extinct bird until they captured it on film. At last, armed with a short video and sound clip, they published their findings in Science, triggering a frenzy of media coverage and sparking a controversy among birders and scient.