Ivory-billed Woodpecker Fact Sheet
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
April 28, 2005—The Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) is a nonprofit, membership institution with the mission to interpret and conserve the Earth’s biological diversity though research, education and citizen science focused on birds.
From its headquarters at the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity at the edge of Sapsucker Woods, a short distance from the Cornell University campus, the lab works with citizen scientists, government and nongovernment agencies across North America and beyond to foster the belief that bird enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels can and do make a difference.
- Research, the foundation of CLO since its establishment in 1915, has been programs in bird population studies. The Macaulay Library is the world’s largest archive of audio recordings of natural sounds and associated videos, a unique resource for researchers from many disciplines. The interactive Web-based BirdSource is a revolutionary partnership between citizens and scientists at CLO and the National Audubon Society. By sharing their counts of birds on-line, citizen participants in BirdSource improve their scientific literacy – while contributing data that help scientists and conservationists define bird ranges, populations, migration pathways and habitat needs.
- Education at CLO takes many forms: The popular Monday Night Seminars in Sapsucker Woods and field courses; the National Science Foundation-funded Classroom Feederwatch, with curricula designed for students in grades 5-8; publications, such as the Land Managers Guides; and the Home Study Course in Bird Biology, a comprehensive, college-level instructional program and text covering bird behavior, ecology and conservation. Aspiring birders with Internet connections can learn the basics – and lots more, all free of charge – with the All About Birds online guide. Many CLO scientists also serve on the Cornell faculty, in the tradition of Arthur A. Allen, America’s first professor of ornithology.
- Citizen Science started at CLO, where the term was coined, and now takes place in backyards, city streets and remote forests throughout North America. Spring-summer citizen-science projects include The Birdhouse Network for cavity-nesting birds, Birds in Forested Landscapes, the House Finch Nest Survey and the Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Project. Fall-winter programs include the long-running Project FeederWatch, which got citizen science off the ground in the first place and now engages more than 16,000 participants every year, as well as the Great Backyard Bird Count and Classroom FeederWatch. And any time of year, citizen scientists can help professional scientists with the House Finch Disease Survey, Urban Bird Studies and eBird, the continentwide bird-tracking project.
For More Information About the Ivory-billed Woodpecker:
- Found: The Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Learn about the timeline of the search for the ivory-bill, The Nature Conservancy's conservation efforts in the Big Woods of Arkansas, meet the search team, and more!
- Live audio chat about the ivory-billed woodpecker with Phillip Hoose
Phillip Hoose, author of The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, discusses the recent rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker.
- Where We Work: The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas
The Nature Conservancy's work in Arkansas helps protect and restore ecologically rich wetlands, threatened native prairies, caves, forests and waterways.
- Places We Protect: The Big Woods of Arkansas
This 550,000-acre corridor of floodplain forest follows the bayous and rivers that flow into the Mississippi River and includes the most extensive example of natural shoreline along the lower Mississippi. For 41 miles, the banks on both sides of the river are lined with bottomland hardwoods, the habitat of the ivory-billed woodpecker.
- How You Can Help: Donate Online
Support our efforts to conserve this critical habitat for the ivory-bill and other species.
- Ivory-billed Woodpecker News
See ivory-billed woodpecker photos, maps of the habitat of the ivory-bill, and other news and information about the rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker.
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