Ivorybill Hunters: The Search for Proof in a Flooded Wilderness

By Geoffrey E. Hill

The last documented sighting of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker--one of the rarest and most intriguing animals in the world--was noted over 50 years ago. Long thought to be extinct, the 2005 announcement of a sighting in Arkansas sparked tremendous enthusiasm and hope that this species could yet
be saved. But the subsequent failure of a massive search to relocate Ivorybills in Arkansas made hope for the species' revival short-lived.
Here, noted ornithologist Geoffrey Hill tells the story of how he and two of his colleagues stumbled upon what may be a breeding population of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in the swamps of northern Florida. He relates their laborious attempts to document irrefutable evidence for the existence of this
shy, elusive bird following the failure of a much larger research team to definitively prove the bird's existence.
Hill tells of his travails both in and out of the vast swamp wilderness, pulling back the curtain to reveal the little-seen political maneuvering that is part of all modern science. He explains how he and his group decided who to exclude or include as their findings came in, and why they felt the
need to keep their search a secret. Hill returns repeatedly to how expectations can guide observations, and how tempting it is to oversell evidence in the face of the struggle between an overwhelming desire to find the bird and the need to retain integrity and objectivity.
Written like a good detective story, Ivorybill Hunters also delves into the science behind the rediscovery of a species, explaining how professional ornithologists follow up on a sight record of a rare bird, and how this differs from the public's perception of how scientists actually work. Hill
notes the growing role of amateurs in documenting bird activity and discusses how the community of birders and nature lovers can see, enjoy, and help preserve these birds.
Ivorybill Hunters will prove a fascinating read for those with an interest in natural history, adventure, environmental conservation, and science, as well as the more than forty-six million Americans who now call themselves birdwatchers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195323467
• ISBN13: 9780195323467
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The search continues..............

I was very pleased with this book and I found it most informative. I have always believed that it will be either hunters or other outdoors people who will document this bird's continued existence. It was also nice to see that someone was searching in Florida. Florida and the Big Thicket in Texas strike me as two promising areas. As a kayaker myself I can only imagine the exhiliration of seeing one of these birds in the wild.

IVORYBILL HUNTERS

I BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR MY HUSBAND (TED), WHO HAS GONE ON TWO GREAT ADVENTURES LOOKING FOR THIS MYSTERY BIRD, ONCE IN ARK. AND ONCE IN FL. TED SAID THE BOOK WAS A STEP BY STEP TAIL OF WHAT HE AND HIS FRIEND (GREG)EXPERIENCED,SAME LOCATION (IN FLORIDA).ALTHOUGH GREG HEARD THE BIRD HE NEVER SAW IT. I AM SO SURE THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ADVENTURE SOME WHERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. JEAN/DEVOTED WIFE

Optimistic News for the Ivory-bill

After the discouraging results at relocating (finding) the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas in 2005 this book is a welcome source of optimistic news. Professor Hill is a good writer and his account of Auburn University's search for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in Florida is a satisfying read not just for the possible good news but also as an enjoyable vicarious adventure into the cypress tupelo forest where the birds may be found. There may not be the glossy 8x10 picture of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker at its nest cavity yet but read this and you will be encouraged. In addition to the exciting accounts of encounters with Ivory-bills, their drumming and calls, I found the details of foraging sites and the specific Ivory-billed wood peeling method and bill adaptation of interest. The author and search group have a website and will continue to update sightings there. This book will give you the background on the discovery and exploration of the impressive cypress/tupelo/oak forest along the Choctawhatchee River that may be a refuge of the Ivory-billed and a source for more good news to come.

Ivorybill Hunters: The search for Proof in a Flooded Wilderness

This is an incredible account of an ongoing story that is still alive even now. The implication af the rediscovery of the Ivorybill Woodpecker is unparalleled in conservation history and this account is most exciting!!

Chasing after hope on a feather

I remember hearing news of an ivorybill sighting in 2005, followed up by purported sound recordings of the formerly extinct species and then fleeting video footage. Since then, several research teams and amateur birders have claimed sightings, but none have captured definitive proof of the bird's existence. Throughout all the debate, excitement, speculation and accusations, two things struck me: First, Nature never fails to surprise, and second, the passions of people also never fail to surprise. Now we have the story of the (maybe) resurrection of a thought-to-be-lost species by one of its hunters, Professor Geoffrey E. Hill, who was part of a 2005/2006 Florida search team that found tantalizing evidence but no definitive proof of ivorybills in the forests around the Choctawhatchee river. "Ivorybill Hunters" reads like a good detective novel filled with political intrigue, clashing agendas, and a forest of tantalizing leads, most of which ended up as dead ends. The ivorybill has taken on such a mythic status that one could compare it to another famous bird, the Maltese Falcon, both of which are the stuff on which dreams, and in the case of the ivorybill, reputations and history, are made.