From the Swarovski Birding E-bulletin, written by Paul Baicich posted here by Jim Williams, Wayzata, Minnesota ====
RARITY FOCUS We were set to profile two wonderful Flame-colored Tanagers that were found last month at Madera Canyon in southeast Arizona as the rarity focus for April. Far more important bird events took precedence, however! Toward the end of April, exciting rumors began spreading about the possible existence of Ivory-billed Woodpecker in a remote section of Arkansas bottomland forest. Increasingly convincing stories started to rocket across the Internet, culminating in an official announcement originally intended for mid-May, but ultimately delivered on 28 April. When the event was finally announced at a press conference at the Department of the Interior in Washington DC, the birding world was at once both ecstatic and stunned. The details of how the bird was discovered, how the secret was maintained, and how the organized searches for the species were conducted have now been widely played in the media. From radio interviews and television spots, to the recent publication of THE GRAIL BIRD (Houghton Mifflin 2005), a book by Tim Gallagher (one of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology staff who actually saw the bird), the birding community (and the general public) undoubtedly know more about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker than ever before in the history of the planet! Most encouraging amid all the recent publicity is the implication that there could actually be a population of these birds in Arkansas. In the words of John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, "We've passed the bottleneck," and are in a situation where habitat for the bird "can only get better." One little-appreciated aspect of the Ivory-billed story has been that the Migratory Birding Hunting and Conservation [Duck] Stamp has, since 1986, been a major contributor to acquiring habitat at the core site, Cache River National Wildlife Refuge. (So much for the Stamp being "just for ducks.") Although a great deal has recently been written about the Ivory-bill, the bottom line is that in order to ensure the ultimate survival of the bird, the management of the species will have to be a collective effort on the part of leaders from a number of agencies and organizations, including the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, The Nature Conservancy, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (especially staff involved with the Refuge System and Endangered Species), the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and many others. Teamwork and cooperation are absolutely essential if the species is ever to survive. In line with this reality, there needs to be concern over "loving the Ivory-billed Woodpecker to death," as noted by Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, at the Washington, DC press conference. There are undoubtedly already birders obsessing over how to see the bird. While catching sight of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker might be the ultimate dream of many birders, a considerable amount of restraint needs to be exercised at this point. Rather than fixating over observing the bird, it would be far more appropriate right now to focus on developing strategies for preserving the bird and its habitat. "Our next step to recover the bird must be as patient and thoughtful as the collection of evidence to confirm the existence of the bird," Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton said. "As we learn more, we will adjust our cooperative management effort." And she's absolutely correct. Among many key tasks, the Corridor of Hope Cooperative Conservation team and the technical experts assigned to assist them have been asked to "develop and implement plans to manage visitor access. . . The conservation team will carefully evaluate management actions for public access to ensure opportunities to see the areas where the bird has been sighted and to facilitate research without jeopardizing its survival." Since Ivory-bills have seemingly been able to hold out in remote Arkansas (i.e., Cache River and White River NWRs and surrounding areas) for decades, perhaps there is a chance that with man's help, they will continue to live and breed (and perhaps even spread) in the future, if they remain relatively unmolested. Although there are already a number of web sites devoted to the wonder, appreciation, and survival of this most spectacular of woodpeckers, we especially recommend that all readers of the E-Bulletin visit these two: <http://www.ivorybill.org/> <http://www.refugenet.org/birding/conservation3.html#TOC04> And while you are cheering for the recovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, we encourage you to also track the future of other bird rarities , possibly closer to home. A great place to begin your vicarious search is the new North American Rare Bird Alert (NARBA) Gallery of recent rare birds. It's a feast for the eyes and for the imagination. There's lots of wonderful birding out there, so have a look at: <http://www.narba.org/gallery.htm>
