-- Records Committee Says 'Yes' to IBWO --

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This notice comes late today from Laura Erickson's birdblog -- (my reaction to it is, "well, duhhhhhh!!," but others will no doubt find it of more significance) :

"LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS—After reviewing evidence of the ivory-billed woodpecker gathered in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in April 2004, the Bird Records Committee of the Arkansas Audubon Society has voted to change the status of the bird in Arkansas from ''extirpated'' to ''present''.
Max Parker, longtime curator for the Arkansas Audubon Society, received on June 17, 2005, verifying documentation for the extraordinary record from a member of the research team. The documentation was studied at length by all members of the Arkansas Bird Records Committee before the record was accepted."

You can read Laura's full post at:

http://birdwatching.birderblog.com/?v=11-18-05#11-18-05_170310.txt

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