Welcome back NF, not Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Welcome home NF! Sorry today's news isn't so welcoming, though. As you can see from the story below, 61 years of believing we were successful in driving this pesky species to extinction have come to a crashing end. Looks like we better book a flight to Arkansas... --EG

A group of wildlife scientists believe the ivory-billed woodpecker is not extinct. They say they have made seven firm sightings of the bird in central Arkansas. The landmark find caps a search that began more than 60 years ago, after biologists said North America’s largest woodpecker had become extinct in the United States.

The large, showy bird is an American legend -- it disappeared when the big bottomland forests of North America were logged, and relentless searches have produced only false alarms. Now, in an intensive year-long search in the Cache River and White River national wildlife refuges involving more than 50 experts and field biologists working together as part of the Big Woods Partnership, an ivory-billed male has been captured on video.

"We have solid evidence, there are solid sightings, this bird is here," says Tim Barksdale, a wildlife photographer and biologist.

- Owen, 8:50 AM | |