Saturday, March 18, 2006

Science Saturday III: Update on the Ivory Bill

Anyone who thinks birdwatchers are a mousy lot has not been following the fisticuffs over the ivory-billed woodpecker. For the uninitiated, that is the magnificent and magnificently huge woodpecker that went extinct and was rediscovered last year in an Arkansas swamp. Or was it?

The nation's best known birder, David Sibley, has come down firmly on the side of the non-believers. Sibley, who wrote and illustrated the magnificent (there's that word again) "Sibley Guide to Birds," explains why he reluctantly went public:
I think that this identification is wrong, and I feel that I'm obligated to correct that. Conservation has to be based on science.
If you, like me, find birdwatching to be an inexpensive, relaxing and rewarding pursuit and don't own Sibley's guide, order one right now here. Used copies are available for under 20 bucks.

No comments: