Last year, to great fanfare, scientists unveiled a video showing that the ivory-billed woodpecker, believed extinct for 60 years, was alive and well in the woods of eastern Arkansas. Last week, the story lost its lustre. The ivory-bill may not be with us after all. After examining the blurry, 4.5-second video, other researchers announced they believe it shows the far more common pileated woodpecker (Science, vol 311, p 1555).
The search for the ivory-billed woodpecker has captured the imagination of America and made the bird a symbol of hope and resurrection. Millions of conservation dollars have poured into Arkansas…
