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Tim Gallagher, who has a bit of interest in the decision ;) has written a piece for Audubon regarding the USFWS recommendation to declare the IBWO extinct:
It largely rehashes the arguments that have been made all along and Tim’s own personal experience, and Tim is a good writer so it is an enjoyable read. But with that said, I was disappointed that toward the end, and you could hear the frustration/aggravation in his words while writing about the difficulty of attaining evidence strong enough to sway skeptics, he ventured over-the-top with this bit:
“So, unless someone manages to take the most stunning, crisp, unbelievably vivid photograph or video imaginable—or better yet, find an active nest that other researchers can view—it may not be universally believed.”
No, it does not require “the most stunning, crisp” or “unbelievably vivid” photographic evidence to demonstrate this species’ existence. Crappy, blurry, but closeup photos that simply show a few key features will do, or fuzzy, prolonged video of very mediocre quality will suffice… and that is what we haven’t had for an amazing and disappointing 75+ years. One doesn’t require a Leica camera with a 600 mm. lens… an iPhone may do the trick (…or, if you were to believe Fielding Lewis, a Brownie camera suffices nicely). So folks please don't hold back your photos of Ivory-bills because they're not of stellar, award-winning quality ;)
There are plenty of reasons to explain why getting such a photo or video may be difficult… but, given what has been accomplished with other rare species, it is also difficult to explain the lack of even one given the effort put in over this long a time. "I couldn't get my camera out fast enough," "I couldn't get the camera to focus in time," "I was so stunned, I didn't even think to reach for my camera"... gets a li'l old after awhile... coulda, woulda, shoulda.
And photographic evidence is not the only possibility. A clear, prolonged sighting by a truly universally-respected, and skeptical, ornithologist or birder would definitely rev up belief in this species, or even such a sighting by a large group (say 8 or more) of less well-known, but very experienced, birders, could do it. ...David Sibley saying "I think I may have seen an Ivory-billed Woodpecker" wouldn't do it, but David Sibley saying "I saw an Ivory-billed Woodpecker" would! A slimmer possibility might be finding Ivory-bill DNA at a nest hole or foraging site… let alone a dead carcass.
These are not near-impossible levels of evidence to achieve; in fact they are possibly inevitable, given enough time (whatever that be), IF the species is indeed extant. And IF the bird is finally documented to everyone’s satisfaction, stunned ornithologists and naturalists worldwide will likely regard it as one of the greatest, most incredible sagas in all of zoological science and history. Meanwhile, we believers, will quietly (or, perhaps not-so-quietly) shake our heads, knowing it could hardly have turned out otherwise.
p.s…. Tim encourages everyone with thoughts on the matter to comment to the USFWS before they make their final decision at end of November:
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