Dear Birders....

Ever since April 28, 2005, when researchers announced they had rediscovered
the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, long thought to be extinct, reports of
ivory-bill sightings have flooded in to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and
other organizations involved in the search. Most of those sightings have
turned out to be of Pileated Woodpeckers, another large woodpecker species
that is much more common throughout North America, but all reports are
being screened carefully in the hope that additional ivory-bill sightings
can be documented.

Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
have announced new web pages that will aid in identifying Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers and in gathering information from the public about potential
sightings.

The press release is posted at
<http://www.fws.gov/southeast/>http://www.fws.gov/southeast/, and follows
in the body of this email message below, as well as in the attachment.

Contact: Connie Bruce, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607 254-2491

<..\..\..\Test%20Mail\Attach\ibwsightings_release_ver3_final1.doc.htm>19f2596.jpg<..\..\..\Test%20Mail\Attach\ibwsightings_release_ver3_final1.doc.htm>ibwsightings_release_ver3_final1.doc.dot




19f25b5.jpgFor Immediate Release June 16, 2005


Media Contacts: Kyla Hastie, Fish and Wildlife Service, 404-679-7125

Blaine Friedlander, Cornell University,
607-254-8093

Connie Bruce,
Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2491


Partners Establish Protocol to Report Sightings of Ivory-Billed Woodpecker


The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Cornell Laboratory
of Ornithology announce the establishment of an e-mail address
(<mailto:ivorybill at cornell.edu>ivorybill at cornell.edu) and associated web
site
(<http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/story17.htm>http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/story17.htm)
to report sightings of the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

Since the announcement in April that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has been
confirmed at ArkansasCache River National Wildlife Refuge, weve had
numerous calls reporting sightings,said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional
Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We need to gather this
information so biologists can explore any promising leads.

Because the Ivory-billed Woodpecker looks very similar to the more common
Pileated Woodpecker, biologists urge the public to carefully review the
information on the web site, including range maps, habitat descriptions,
field marks, and photos of both birds, before reporting sighting information.

People who believe they've seen an Ivory-billed Woodpecker should fill out
the form available at
<http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/story17.htm>http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/story17.htm
and send it to <mailto:ivorybill at cornell.edu>the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. Those without Internet access may request the form by calling
the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473.

We've had reports of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in people's backyards from
Michigan to Maine,said Ron Rohrbaugh of the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. These observations are well outside of the ivory-bill's
historic range, but even within the range it's unlikely that someone would
encounter one in their backyard. Rather, the birds sighted in these
situations are almost certainly Pileated Woodpeckers. We urge the public
to carefully study the differences between an Ivory-billed and Pileated
woodpecker before reporting a sighting. This will help us focus on those
reports that are most credible.

The Service has established a second e-mail address,
<mailto:ivorybill at fws.gov>ivorybill at fws.gov, where the public can submit
questions or comments about the recovery of the Ivory-billed
Woodpecker. The public may also write to: Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery
Team Leader, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta,
GA 30345.

The Service and Cornell Lab of Ornithology will work closely with partners
including The Nature Conservancy, state fish and wildlife agencies, and
university researchers throughout the Southeast to investigate credible
reports of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers.

The partners hope that hunters, birders, hikers, kayakers and others who
spend time exploring the bottomland hardwood swamps of the Southeast may be
able to help in the search for the bird.

It was kayaker Gene Sparling that led us to the confirmed Cache River
Refuge sighting,said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. We hope that more Ivory-billed Woodpeckers are out there,
just waiting to be seen.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million- acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices, and 81 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American Tribal governments
with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance
program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes
on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife.

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology is a non-profit membership
institution with the mission to interpret and conserve the earth's
biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science
focused on birds. From its headquarters at the Imogene Powers Johnson
Center for Birds and Biodiversity in Ithaca, New York, the Lab leads
international efforts in bird monitoring and conservation and fosters the
ability of enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels to make a difference.

* * *

For more information, visit

<http://www.fws.gov/ivorybill>http://www.fws.gov/<http://www.fws.gov/ivorybill>ivorybill
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/
<http://www.ivorybill.org/>http://www.ivorybill.org



Marge Villanova
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Tel. 607-254-2473
Fax. 607-254-2415
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