[mou] Duck stamps -- good for woodpeckers, too

[Jim Williams]

 From the Swarovski Birding E-bulletin, written by Paul Baicich
posted here by Jim Williams, Wayzata, Minnesota
====

RARITY FOCUS

We were set to profile two wonderful Flame-colored Tanagers that were 
found
last month at Madera Canyon in southeast Arizona as the rarity focus for
April. Far more important bird events took precedence, however!

Toward the end of April, exciting rumors began spreading about the 
possible
existence of Ivory-billed Woodpecker in a remote section of Arkansas
bottomland forest. Increasingly convincing stories started to rocket 
across
the Internet, culminating in an official announcement originally 
intended
for mid-May, but ultimately delivered on 28 April. When the event was
finally announced at a press conference at the Department of the 
Interior
in Washington DC, the birding world was at once both ecstatic and 
stunned.

  The details of how the bird was discovered, how the secret was 
maintained,
and how the organized searches for the species were conducted have now 
been
widely played in the media. From radio interviews and television spots, 
to
the recent publication of THE GRAIL BIRD (Houghton Mifflin 2005), a 
book by
Tim Gallagher (one of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology staff who actually 
saw
the bird), the birding community (and the general public) undoubtedly 
know
more about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker than ever before in the history 
of
the planet! Most encouraging amid all the recent publicity is the
implication that there could actually be a population of these birds in
Arkansas. In the words of John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab 
of
Ornithology, "We've passed the bottleneck," and are in a situation where
habitat for the bird "can only get better."

One little-appreciated aspect of the Ivory-billed story has been that 
the
Migratory Birding Hunting and Conservation [Duck] Stamp has, since 1986,
been a major contributor to acquiring habitat at the core site, Cache 
River
National Wildlife Refuge. (So much for the Stamp being "just for 
ducks.")

Although a great deal has recently been written about the Ivory-bill, 
the
bottom line is that in order to ensure the ultimate survival of the 
bird,
the management of the species will have to be a collective effort on the
part of leaders from a number of agencies and organizations, including 
the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, The Nature Conservancy, the US Fish and
Wildlife Service (especially staff involved with the Refuge System and
Endangered Species), the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, and many others. Teamwork and cooperation are
absolutely essential if the species is ever to survive.

In line with this reality, there needs to be concern over "loving the
Ivory-billed Woodpecker to death," as noted by Secretary of the 
Interior,
Gale Norton, at the Washington, DC press conference. There are 
undoubtedly
already birders obsessing over how to see the bird. While catching 
sight of
an Ivory-billed Woodpecker might be the ultimate dream of many birders, 
a
considerable amount of restraint needs to be exercised at this point.
Rather than fixating over observing the bird, it would be far more
appropriate right now to focus on developing strategies for preserving 
the
bird and its habitat.

"Our next step to recover the bird must be as patient and thoughtful as 
the
collection of evidence to confirm the existence of the bird," Secretary 
of
the Interior Gale Norton said. "As we learn more, we will adjust our
cooperative management effort." And she's absolutely correct.

Among many key tasks, the Corridor of Hope Cooperative Conservation team
and the technical experts assigned to assist them have been asked to
"develop and implement plans to manage visitor access. . . The 
conservation
team will carefully evaluate management actions for public access to 
ensure
opportunities to see the areas where the bird has been sighted and to
facilitate research without jeopardizing its survival."

Since Ivory-bills have seemingly been able to hold out in remote 
Arkansas
(i.e., Cache River and White River NWRs and surrounding areas) for 
decades,
perhaps there is a chance that with man's help, they will continue to 
live
and breed (and perhaps even spread) in the future, if they remain
relatively unmolested.

  Although there are already a number of web sites devoted to the wonder,
appreciation, and survival of this most spectacular of woodpeckers, we
especially recommend that all readers of the E-Bulletin visit these two:
<http://www.ivorybill.org/>
<http://www.refugenet.org/birding/conservation3.html#TOC04>

And while you are cheering for the recovery of the Ivory-billed 
Woodpecker,
we encourage you to also track the future of other bird rarities , 
possibly
closer to home. A great place to begin your vicarious search is the new
North American Rare Bird Alert (NARBA) Gallery of recent rare birds. 
It's a
feast for the eyes and for the imagination. There's lots of wonderful
birding out there, so have a look at:
<http://www.narba.org/gallery.htm>