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Here's the abstract:
Background: The apparent rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Campephilus principalis in Arkansas, USA, previously feared extinct, was supported by video evidence of a single bird in flight (Fitzpatrick et al, Science 2005, 308:1460-1462). Plumage patterns and wingbeat frequency of the putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker were said to be incompatible with the only possible confusion species native to the area, the Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus.
Results: New video analysis of Pileated Woodpeckers in escape flights comparable to that of the putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker filmed in Arkansas shows that Pileated Woodpeckers can display a wingbeat frequency equivalent to that of the Arkansas bird during escape flight. The critical frames from the Arkansas video that were used to identify the bird as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker are shown to be equally, or more, compatible with the Pileated Woodpecker.
Conclusions: The identification of the bird filmed in Arkansas in April 2004 as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker is best regarded as unsafe. The similarities between the Arkansas bird and known Pileated Woodpeckers suggest that it was most likely a Pileated Woodpecker.
3 comments:
I am SO worn out by reading people who should know better making the same dumb mistakes in interpreting that video over and over again. Listen -- that bird shows black leading edges on the underwing as often as it shows black trailing edges, ergo apparent black edges are best interpreted as artifacts not coloration. And there is so much more clear difference in that bird's flight mechanics from those of any as-yet-documented pileated than just the stupid wingbeat rate. Go to my blog if you wonder what I am babbling about.
Frustrating...
I love the blog that you have. I was wondering if you would link my blog to yours and in return I would do the same for your blog. If you want to, my site name is American Legends and the URL is:
www.americanlegends.info
If you want to do this just go to my blog and in one of the comments just write your blog name and the URL and I will add it to my site.
Thanks,
David
I would just like to see an IBWP to be sure. Until then, I am going to continue watching Pileated Woodpeckers because I know that they exist.They are great birds in their own right and we should appreciate them while we can.
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