Birds
Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Campephilus principalis · also called Lord God bird
Once so large and striking that witnesses reportedly exclaimed “Lord God!” at the sight of one, an ivory-billed woodpecker has not been scientifically confirmed since the 1940s, a Critically Endangered giant now considered possibly extinct after the old-growth forests it depended on were logged away.
Overview
The ivory-billed woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, is one of the largest woodpecker species in the world, historically native to old-growth forest across the southeastern United States and parts of Cuba. Its record-setting size, dependence on the dead and dying trees found only in mature old-growth forest, and status as possibly extinct following decades without a confirmed sighting make it one of the most legendary and conservation-significant woodpeckers in history.
A giant that outgrew its habitat
The ivory-billed woodpecker’s dependence on old-growth swamp forest packed with recently dead trees proved to be its downfall, since the very habitat that made such a large, specialised bird possible was also the first to disappear under twentieth-century logging.
Status
Critically Endangered and considered possibly extinct, with no scientifically confirmed sightings since the 1940s despite ongoing searches.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker: common questions
Is the ivory-billed woodpecker extinct?
This species is officially classified as Critically Endangered rather than confirmed extinct, though it is considered possibly extinct, since the last widely accepted scientific sighting dates to the 1940s despite occasional unconfirmed claims of sightings since then.
Why is the ivory-billed woodpecker called the Lord God bird?
This species earned the nickname the Lord God bird because of reports that people exclaimed "Lord God!" upon first seeing its striking size and appearance, a name that has stuck ever since.
What caused the ivory-billed woodpecker's decline?
This species was driven toward extinction primarily by extensive logging of the old-growth forest it depended on, which eliminated the large numbers of recently dead and dying trees crucial to its specialised feeding habits.
Where was the ivory-billed woodpecker historically found?
This species was historically found in old-growth forest across the southeastern United States and parts of Cuba, habitat that became increasingly rare through the twentieth century.