The Race to Save the Lord God Bird (18 page)
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Authors: Phillip Hoose
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| 1607 âThe government of Bermuda issues a proclamation protecting the cahow and the green turtleâthe first species protection acts in the New World. |
| 1731 âMark Catesby provides the first description of the Ivory-bill in his Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, the first comprehensive English-language study of American plants and animals. |
| 1785 âBritish naturalist Thomas Pennant describes the Ivory-billed woodpecker as “scarce.” |
| 1809 âOrnithologist Alexander Wilson tries to keep an Ivory-bill in a hotel room in order to paint it, later writes about his experience in a nine-volume work, American Ornithology. |
| 1818 âMassachusetts bans hunting of larks and robins, the first law protecting non-game (not hunted) species in the United States. |
| 1831 âA decade after painting Ivory-bills, John James Audubon writes a detailed description of the species in his Birds of America. |
| 1863 âThe Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker is first reported by John Cassin, curator of birds for the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. |
| 1869 âMichigan tries to protect rapidly declining Passenger Pigeons by forbidding guns to be fired within a mile of roosts. |
| 1870s âMuch forested land in southern states is released from laws prohibiting sale. Northern and British timber companies begin to clear Ivory-bill habitat to sell the wood. |
| 1877 âFlorida passes a law forbidding the destruction of the eggs and young of plumed birds. It is widely ignored. |
| 1879 âAn observer writes of the Ivory-bill: “This bird is not at all abundant, and specimens may be regarded as good additions to one's cabinet.” |
| 1890s âArthur Wayne, W.E.D. Scott, George E. Beyer, and other “collectors” reduce the rapidly diminishing Ivory-bill population in order to sell or exhibit the skins of dead birds. |
| 1893 âJohannes Gundlach publishes the first of his two-volume Ornitologia Cubana, providing the first detailed description of the Ivory-bill's behavior, appearance, and habitat in Cuba. |
| 1898 âAfter participating briefly in the Spanish-American War, which liberated Cuba from Spain, the United States takes control of much of Cuba's land and economy. Much forested Cuban land is cleared to plant sugarcane, pushing the Ivory-bill deeper into mountainous Cuban habitat. |
| 1901 âA course on the protection of certain game birds is required of all Nevada schoolchildren; a non-game-bird protection bill is passed in Florida, which, if it had been enforced, might have protected the Ivory-bill there. |
| 1907 âPresident Theodore Roosevelt, on a hunting trip to northeastern Louisiana, sees three Ivory-bills, calling them the birds “which most interested me” among all he saw. |
| 1910 âResponding to pressure from Audubon groups, New York State forbids the sale of wild bird feathers. |
| 1913 âThe Singer Manufacturing Company purchases nearly 80,000 acres of a swamp forest in Madison Parish, Louisiana, in order to reserve the trees for making sewing machine cabinets. The area becomes known as the Singer Refuge or the Singer Tract. |
| 1914 âThe Passenger Pigeon becomes extinct; James Tanner is born in Cortland, N.Y. |
| 1918 âThe last Carolina Parakeet dies in the Cincinnati Zoo. |
| 1924 âArthur and Elsa Allen, Cornell University scientists, rediscover the Ivory-bill near the Taylor River, in Florida. The bird had not been reported alive for years. |
| 1932 âLouisiana legislator Mason D. Spencer shoots an Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the Singer Tract. Scientists rush to the scene, and six more Ivory-bills are soon found. |
| 1934 âA survey shows seven pairs of adult Ivory-bills at the Singer Tract, producing four offspring. |
| 1935 âA team of four Cornell University scientists, while on an expedition to record the voices of America's rarest birds, conducts a detailed study of a nesting pair of Ivory-bills at the Singer Tract. They record the species' voice and take still and motion pictures. |
| 1937-1939 âSponsored by the National Audubon Society, Cornell Ph.D. student James Tanner conducts a detailed study of the ecology, biology, and whereabouts of the Ivory-bill. The Singer company begins to sell and lease its forested land to two lumber companies; most goes to the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, with a large sawmill in nearby Tallulah. |
| 1939 âTanner delivers his final report to the Audubon Society. He estimates there may be twenty-five Ivory-bills alive in the United States, but has found them only at the Singer Tract, where he is able to locate only six Ivory-bills, including just one breeding pair. |
| 1941 âWith Chicago Mill and Lumber cutting up to 800,000 board feet of lumber a day, the National Audubon Society launches a campaign to stop the cutting and preserve what remains of the Singer Tract as a refuge for Ivory-bills and as a scrap of an ancient forest. |
| 1943 âRepresentatives from the Audubon Society, the U.S. government, and four state governments meet with executives from the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company and the Singer company to discuss preserving a portion of the Singer Tract as a preserve. |
| 1944 âLast documented Ivory-bill sightings at the Singer Tract. |
| 1948 âU.S. biologists Davis Compton and John Dennis find three Ivory-bills, including a nesting pair, in mountainous eastern Cuba. It is the first report in several years. |
| 1950 (approximately) âThe Cuban Ivory-bill is renamed Campephilus principalis bairdii, reflecting the belief that the Ivory-bills found in the United States and Cuba are separated populations of the same species rather than two different species. |
| 1951 âThe Nature Conservancy is established in the United States. It will grow into the world's biggest conservation organization, specializing in saving habitat for imperiled species such as the Ivory-bill and preserving examples of ecosystems such as the swamp forest at the Singer Tract. |
| 1957 âU.S. biologist George Lamb discovers thirteen Ivory-bills, including six mated pairs, on Cuban property owned by U.S. corporations; makes conservation recommendations. |
| 1959 âThe Cuban Revolution freezes contact between Cuban and U.S. scientists and halts progress on Lamb's Ivory-bill conservation plan. |
| 1962 âLast documented sighting of Bachman's Warbler and last well-documented sighting of the Eskimo Curlew, both birds that spent part of their life cycles in the United States. |
| 1968 âCuban biologist Orlando Garrido reports Ivory-bills in Cuba for the first time in a decade. |
| 1970 âIn the United States, students from more than ten thousand schools take part in the first Earth Day, focusing attention on saving species. |
| 1973 âThe U.S. Endangered Species Act becomes law. |
| 1986 âA Cuban expedition led by Giraldo Alayón rediscovers the Ivory-bill in Cuba. One month later, an international team including worldwide woodpecker expert Dr. Lester Short produces several glimpses of a male and a female Ivory-bill. |
| 1987 âGiraldo Alayón and Aimé Posada glimpse a female Ivory-bill from a mountainous trail. It is the last certain sighting of the bird. |
| 1999 âA hunter delivers a credible report of having seen a male and a female Ivory-bill in the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area, near New Orleans. The report touches off an intensive hunt. |
| 2002 âA six-person international team of scientists uses high-tech equipment to search Louisiana's Pearl River Wildlife Management Area and a neighboring swamp for Ivory-bills. They find some signs, but no birds. |
clutch
A batch of eggs. “Clutch size” means how many eggs are hatched in a single batch. Birds are said to “double clutch” if they lay two batches of eggs in a breeding season. The Ivory-bill had the smallest clutch of any North American woodpecker, two to three eggs.
A batch of eggs. “Clutch size” means how many eggs are hatched in a single batch. Birds are said to “double clutch” if they lay two batches of eggs in a breeding season. The Ivory-bill had the smallest clutch of any North American woodpecker, two to three eggs.
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ecological
niche
The sum total of a given organism's relation to its environment, such as where it lives and what it eats. Often the combined activity of different organisms accomplishes a common purpose. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker pried up the bark of dying trees to get at its food. This opened the door for still other creatures to bore into the trees. The trees continued to decompose until eventually they became too weak to stand and fell to the ground, opening holes in the canopy of treetops for sunlight to pour through and illuminate the ground so that new seeds could grow.
niche
The sum total of a given organism's relation to its environment, such as where it lives and what it eats. Often the combined activity of different organisms accomplishes a common purpose. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker pried up the bark of dying trees to get at its food. This opened the door for still other creatures to bore into the trees. The trees continued to decompose until eventually they became too weak to stand and fell to the ground, opening holes in the canopy of treetops for sunlight to pour through and illuminate the ground so that new seeds could grow.
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ecology
The study of how plants and animals relate to one another and to their physical environment.
The study of how plants and animals relate to one another and to their physical environment.
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ecosystem
A natural community of plants and animals along with the elements of their physical environment, such as soil or a river. No plant or animal can live alone in nature; all living creatures depend on the lives of others and on the environment they share. An ecosystem is a sort of biological neighborhood.
A natural community of plants and animals along with the elements of their physical environment, such as soil or a river. No plant or animal can live alone in nature; all living creatures depend on the lives of others and on the environment they share. An ecosystem is a sort of biological neighborhood.
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egret
One of several varieties of white heron. The name comes from long plumes called “aigrettes” grown by males during the breeding season.
One of several varieties of white heron. The name comes from long plumes called “aigrettes” grown by males during the breeding season.
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endemic
A word describing a species that lives only in one place. For example, the Bee Hummingbird, the world's smallest bird, is endemic to Cuba, meaning that it lives only there. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was not endemic to the United States because there was also a population in Cuba.
A word describing a species that lives only in one place. For example, the Bee Hummingbird, the world's smallest bird, is endemic to Cuba, meaning that it lives only there. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was not endemic to the United States because there was also a population in Cuba.
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evolution
A change in the genes within an entire population of a species by processes such as mutation and natural selection.
A change in the genes within an entire population of a species by processes such as mutation and natural selection.
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extinction
The state of no longer being in existence anywhere.
The state of no longer being in existence anywhere.
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extirpation
Local extinction. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker probably became extirpated in Louisiana when the Singer Tract was cut, but it did not become extinct, since there was a population still alive in Cuba.
Local extinction. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker probably became extirpated in Louisiana when the Singer Tract was cut, but it did not become extinct, since there was a population still alive in Cuba.
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gene
The basic unit of heredity, carried on a chromosome and transmitted from parent to offspring.
The basic unit of heredity, carried on a chromosome and transmitted from parent to offspring.
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grub
The larva of a beetle. The grubs that Ivory-bills loved came from three families of the huge order of beetles named Coleoptera.
The larva of a beetle. The grubs that Ivory-bills loved came from three families of the huge order of beetles named Coleoptera.
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habitat
A place where a bird or other animal lives, or where we go to find it. It is the place that contains all that a certain animal needs to eat and reproduce.
A place where a bird or other animal lives, or where we go to find it. It is the place that contains all that a certain animal needs to eat and reproduce.
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heron
A tall, long-legged wading bird with a long neck and a long, tapering bill that is used to catch fish and other food. Herons' closest relatives are storks, ibises, and flamingos.
A tall, long-legged wading bird with a long neck and a long, tapering bill that is used to catch fish and other food. Herons' closest relatives are storks, ibises, and flamingos.
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migration
The regular movement of birds between their breeding and nonbreeding areas. This movement is usually seasonal and repeated each year. Some birds, such as the Lesser Golden Plover, fly many thousands of miles in migration each year. Birds migrate for many reasons, including to encounter less competition, to avoid predators, to find more food, to find increased sunlight for feeding and reproduction, and to avoid harsh weather. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker flew long distances to find food, but did not migrate.
The regular movement of birds between their breeding and nonbreeding areas. This movement is usually seasonal and repeated each year. Some birds, such as the Lesser Golden Plover, fly many thousands of miles in migration each year. Birds migrate for many reasons, including to encounter less competition, to avoid predators, to find more food, to find increased sunlight for feeding and reproduction, and to avoid harsh weather. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker flew long distances to find food, but did not migrate.
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natural selection
The process through which forms of life survive and reproduce better than others of their kind by developing traits that allow them to adapt to environmental pressures. For example, over time, each of Darwin's fourteen finch species on the Galápagos Islands evolved from a single founding species through the development of traitsâsuch as different bill shapesâthat let them find new sources of food and produce more offspring.
The process through which forms of life survive and reproduce better than others of their kind by developing traits that allow them to adapt to environmental pressures. For example, over time, each of Darwin's fourteen finch species on the Galápagos Islands evolved from a single founding species through the development of traitsâsuch as different bill shapesâthat let them find new sources of food and produce more offspring.
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predator
An animal that seizes and eats other animals. The birds most frequently thought of as predators are hawks, eagles, and owls.
An animal that seizes and eats other animals. The birds most frequently thought of as predators are hawks, eagles, and owls.
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preening
Taking care of feathers by fluffing them out and then combing them with the bill. Birds spend a lot of time preening. They preen to make sure that all their feathers are in place, correctly interlocked, and well oiled. Most birds squeeze oil from a gland at the base of their tails onto their bills, which they then use to spread the oil over their feathers. This keeps the feathers from drying out in the sun and keeps birds that live in water warm.
Taking care of feathers by fluffing them out and then combing them with the bill. Birds spend a lot of time preening. They preen to make sure that all their feathers are in place, correctly interlocked, and well oiled. Most birds squeeze oil from a gland at the base of their tails onto their bills, which they then use to spread the oil over their feathers. This keeps the feathers from drying out in the sun and keeps birds that live in water warm.
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roost
A place where birds sleep, and also the act of sleeping in that place. Some birds, such as blackbirds and starlings, roost together in giant flocks, covering trees or bushes at night. Ivory-bills and other woodpeckers sleep inside cavities, or holes, chiseled into trees.
A place where birds sleep, and also the act of sleeping in that place. Some birds, such as blackbirds and starlings, roost together in giant flocks, covering trees or bushes at night. Ivory-bills and other woodpeckers sleep inside cavities, or holes, chiseled into trees.
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species
The most basic category into which living things are divided. A species of bird is a kind of birdâsuch as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, or a Blue Jay, or an American Robin. But what makes a species a species? One well-respected theory says that a group of birds is a species if the group is reproductively isolated from other groups of birds. This means that members of the group can reproduce only with each other. By this definition, if they tried to reproduce with birds that were not of their species, any young bird that was born could not produce young birds of its own. The question “What makes a species a species?” is still hotly debated among biologists. In other words, it is evolving.
The most basic category into which living things are divided. A species of bird is a kind of birdâsuch as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, or a Blue Jay, or an American Robin. But what makes a species a species? One well-respected theory says that a group of birds is a species if the group is reproductively isolated from other groups of birds. This means that members of the group can reproduce only with each other. By this definition, if they tried to reproduce with birds that were not of their species, any young bird that was born could not produce young birds of its own. The question “What makes a species a species?” is still hotly debated among biologists. In other words, it is evolving.
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