tags: faith-based birding, mass hysteria, endangered species, extinct species, conservation, politics, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, IBWO, ornithology, birds, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has posted a reward of $50,000
to be given to anyone who can provide "video, photographic, or
other compelling information and lead a project scientist to a
living wild Ivory-billed Woodpecker."
Mass hysteria is that strange psychological phenomenon where a group of people experience the same hallucination at the same time. Such hallucinations include observing statues or paintings of the Virgin Mary either bleeding or crying at certain times of the year. But mass hysteria is not limited to religious fanatics. During the past five years, there has been a marked increase in what I refer to as "faith-based birding," where groups of people believe they've seen the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, a large bird that has been extinct in the US for more than 50 years.
Ever since a small group of birders and ornithologists from Cornell University published their very controversial claim in Science in 2004 that they captured this extinct species on video, the number of other people who have likewise "seen" the Ivory-billed Woodpecker have increased. Unfortunately, many of these so-called sightings are based on manufactured photographic evidence.
Apparently unable to distinguish reality from hysteria, Cornell's Lab of Ornithology has only added fuel to this fire by advertising a $50,000 reward to anyone who can provide "video, photographic, or other compelling information and lead a project scientist to a living wild Ivory-billed Woodpecker." Why would the "Lab of O" even get involved in this when they should be devoting their precious time and resources to avian research? Why not admit that their original video ID was mistaken and move on already? (my hypothesis: testosterone poisoning)
Further, if they are really serious about finding this species, why wouldn't they refocus their energies from their sensationalist "wanted dead or alive" advertising campaign (above) to one where they educate the public by showing them how to distinguish this bird from other, similar species (below)?
Image: David Sibley (designed for internet use).
Worse, some so-called birders, such as landscaper and gambler Daniel Rainsong, who claims to have photographed the bird, resort to harassment to assert their claims to this $50,000 prize. According to the current kerfuffle on the intert00bz, Rainsong apparently refuses to allow anyone to see his December 2009 photographs of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker until his "right of claim" (huh?) for this discovery is established (huh??). But despite the self-imposed veil of secrecy surrounding his supposed photographs, Rainsong is allegedly harassing professional ornithologists by filing "formal complaints" against them because (he claims) they refuse to accompany him on an extended search in the Sabine River basin in east Texas to "prove" the validity of his photograph(s). Which he won't permit them to examine.
But the furor has reached far beyond the machinations of a few self-important fortune-seekers: it has even infected the US government. During the past five years, hysterical public officials redirected $14 million of precious conservation funds into developing the Ivory-billed Woodpecker recovery plan -- never mind the fact that this species has not been seen in more than 50 years and is extinct in the USA. But this raises the question; why not spend that $14 million on implementing recovery plans for endangered species that actually exist and that we have a chance of recovering?
Further, after five years of fruitless searching, even some ornithologists at the Lab of O have given up all hope by deciding the bird is either extinct or hopelessly irrecoverable.
"We don't believe a recoverable population of ivory-billed woodpeckers exists," said Ron Rohrbaugh, a conservation biologist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who headed the original search team.
Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in a museum bird collections drawer.
Image: Orphaned.
Source:
Dalton, R. (2010). Still looking for that woodpecker. Nature, 463 (7282), 718-719 DOI: 10.1038/463718a
Politics
Life Science
Comments
a couple of things:
The photos have been seen by appropriate people and will be addressed (why it's taking this long I have no idea; it's a pretty open-and-shut case, and the longer it drags out the more of a fiasco it becomes). I'll have a wrap-up at my blog as well, once officials have their say (I reluctantly broke this story back on Jan. 19th.)
The reward is actually offered by an "anonymous" source, and the impetus for it was to encourage anyone who might know the whereabouts of IBWOs, but not wish to tell (for example, if they are on private lands), an incentive to speak up. The criteria for the reward are actually so stringent it should be a DISincentive to most hoaxers to try (and put themselves through such a grill), but unfortunately Rainsong didn't realize that.
Posted by: cyberthrush | February 12, 2010 2:54 PM
It's hardly news that most birders' life-lists are filled with fleeting glimpses and wishful thinking. But spending $14 million on a recovery plan, on the strength of a dubious videotape, is the sort of thing that gives conservation biology a bad name.
'Faith-based' birding is about right. Maybe we need a Society for Skeptical Birders?
Posted by: Gerard Harbison | February 12, 2010 3:24 PM
Can someone photoshop that poster so it says "Wanted: Dead or Alive" on it? Please?
Posted by: Bob O'H | February 12, 2010 3:27 PM
But how does it taste?
Posted by: Sili | February 12, 2010 3:34 PM
i think it must taste like crow, but lab of o might have first-hand information (and recipes) they'd like to share?
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | February 12, 2010 3:39 PM
When you say "extinct in the US" do you think that there is a chance of it still existing in Cuba?
Posted by: Adrian | February 12, 2010 4:22 PM
why not spend that $14 million on implementing recovery plans for endangered species that actually exist and that we have a chance of recovering?
Because political appointees under the Bush administration got wind of it, swooped in, declared it a "success story", and dictated a ridiculous PR media blitz, much to the consternation of the field staff. Such heavy-handed political management was very commonplace from 2000-2008.
How do I know? I'm a USFWS recovery biologist.
Posted by: Jason F. | February 12, 2010 4:36 PM
i think it must taste like crow, but lab of o might have first-hand information (and recipes) they'd like to share?
Nah. It tastes exactly like pileated, but there are people who, despite all the evidence, claim they can tell the difference. :-)
Posted by: Gerard Harbison | February 12, 2010 5:03 PM
I'd say $14 million is a bargain, if there's any chance at all that the bird exists. I don't buy that video, but I at least initially put "faith" in the sightings by experienced Cornell researchers, and the Auburn group.
Given how much time has now elapsed, and given the lack of conclusive evidence, my "faith" is a lot less now. But...I have a hard time getting worked up over $14 million to potentially save a species, when that $14 million quite literally will only buy a couple of hours for the U.S. war effort in Iraq.
Posted by: Terry Sohl | February 12, 2010 5:08 PM
terry: that $14mil was NOT redirected from bombing innocent iraqi civilians into the next ice age. it was redirected from other endangered species budgets supporting species that are still alive. the fact that other endangered species might be un(der)funded in the process was actually another win for the bushies, who have never been especially keen to protect anything except their own bank accounts.
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | February 12, 2010 5:22 PM
I'm the last one to support any win for the Bushies, but I have a hard time getting worked up over this one.
Of that $14 million, $8 million as spent on habitat conservation, including an expansion of the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge.
That's a good thing. As for the rest of that money...again, if there's ANY chance such a magnificent bird exists, I say go for it. You had some well-respected Cornell researchers ID the bird by sight. Could they have been mistaken? Too enthusiastic? Sure. But should doubt be a reason to ignore a chance to save a species?
Posted by: Terry Sohl | February 12, 2010 5:34 PM
So throw $14 million dollars at an extinct species rather than spending that money to save species we know for a fact are not extinct, because someone claims to have seen it? we're going to let other programs die from lack of funding for that?
Posted by: Troy | February 12, 2010 7:58 PM
Well, as recovery plans go, it's done better than some - there's been no further decline of the species, after all! :)
(count me in the "it's extinct" camp)
Posted by: dhogaza | February 12, 2010 8:12 PM
Posted by: CallyR | February 12, 2010 8:41 PM
Sure, some of the money spent on the 'search' team could have been redirected, but they tried and it didn't work out....time to move on. I'm playing devil's advocate here but some might argue we've been wasting tons of conservation money on habitat specialist species of serious decline whose populations can't survive without our assistance...say Kirtland's warbler? Least Bell's Vireo? I still think we should try.
Personally, I think whether the Ivory-billed still exists is a moot point. Bringing attention to the degradation and loss of bottomland hardwood habitat in Arkansas, Florida Pan, etc. is the real success in the woodpecker story. What those areas really needed was more public awareness and conservation and I think the ivory-billed search helped alot in that respect. Maybe these efforts might help stop the decline of another bottomland hardwood species before it's too late....say the rusty blackbird? (Big Woods had great flocks when I visited last).
Posted by: D. | February 13, 2010 4:42 PM
What's 14Million? NObama spent that on the Photo Opt of Air Force 1's over New York City. Scared the entire city again. Not o mention the billions he has wasted on his the recovery act which has yet to produce a single job.
Posted by: Bellita | February 13, 2010 5:21 PM
> recovery plan
Restore it and they will come back?
Well, what's the worst thing that could result from doing this?
There's a reason they call'em 'charismatic megafauna' -- they need the same kind of environment restored that many others will find habitable, and usually a bit more of it.
Posted by: Hank Roberts | February 15, 2010 9:53 PM
The Ivory Billed Woodpecker is in fact a werebird. For nearly the whole of the month, it sneaks about in the shape of a common Pileated Woodpecker. But on the night of the full moon, it transforms! Then, and only then, can its true form, in all its ivory-billed glory, be seen. Thus it has eluded the cleverest of searchers for all these many years.
Posted by: llewelly | February 16, 2010 5:26 AM