Declared extinct: Unsuccessful search for the ivory woodpecker

It was once one of the most famous birds in the United States. But now the ivory woodpecker – as well as 22 other animal and plant species – are considered to be extinct. The responsible US authority sees the guilt primarily in humans.

A US agency has finally declared 23 animal and plant species extinct. One of the species named by the Federal Agency for Fisheries and Wildlife is the ivory woodpecker, once one of the most famous birds in the country. In addition to birds, a bat, two freshwater fish, eight species of mussels and a plant have also been declared extinct. Scientists had tried to locate these species in the wild for years – to no avail. However, some researchers believe it is possible that some of them will reappear somewhere at some point.

The authority initiated the procedure to remove the species from the list of endangered species for the species concerned. This message “underscores how human activities can lead to species decline and extinction by contributing to habitat loss, overexploitation and the introduction of invasive species and diseases,” the agency said. “The increasing effects of climate change are expected to exacerbate these threats,” it said.

The ivory woodpecker’s whereabouts is a mystery

The ivory woodpecker had black and white plumage with a red crest on the males, and was about 50 centimeters tall. This made him one of the largest woodpeckers in the world. Because of its size and beauty, it was nicknamed “Lord God Bird”: bird of the Lord and God.

The bird’s whereabouts have been a mystery among researchers, and there have been several unconfirmed reports of sightings. However, experts agree that it was last seen beyond doubt in April 1944 in northeast Louisiana – it was native to the swamps of the southern United States. The bird was not classified as an endangered species until 1967. It is believed to have fallen victim to the deforestation of its habitat and hunting by foragers.

Of the total of 23 extinct species, eleven species are from Hawaii and Guam. Animals that live on islands are more vulnerable to extinction than mainland residents due to their isolation. Hawaii and the Pacific Islands have more than 650 endangered species of flora and fauna, more than any other US state. Many of them are not found anywhere else in the world.