Ivory-billed Woodpecker Bird Facts (Campephilus…

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is a striking, crow-sized bird with glossy black plumage contrasted by bold white markings on its neck and wings. Its most distinctive feature is a large, pale, ivory-colored bill and a prominent red crest on males.

Females closely resemble males but lack the red crest; instead, they have black crests. Both sexes display white secondary feathers, visible as a large white panel on the lower half of the wing when folded.

Juveniles appear similar to adult females, with black rather than red crests.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker can be found in Woodland habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Garden habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Urban habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Desert habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Historically, Ivory-billed Woodpeckers inhabited old-growth bottomland hardwood forests and cypress swamps in the southeastern United States, from North Carolina to Florida and west to eastern Texas and Arkansas.

Their range also extended to Cuba. Today, if any populations remain, they would likely be confined to remote, undisturbed forest areas in the southeastern U.S. or Cuba.

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons

Species that can be found in the area throughout the year

Cuba

Species that appear infrequently (rare) and unpredictably outside their normal range

United States of America

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Bird Attributes Explained

Our bird attributes system rates various aspects of a bird's capabilities on a scale of 0-100, based on data from field observations, scientific studies, and expert knowledge.

Attribute Categories:

Agility: Manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.
Strength: Physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.
Adaptability: Ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.
Aggressiveness: Territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.
Endurance: Stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Understanding the Ratings:

0-20: Very Low
21-40: Low
41-60: Average
61-80: High
81-100: Very High

Remember, these attributes are relative to other bird species and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Agility

Reflects the bird's manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker demonstrates remarkable agility in its foraging behaviour, swiftly manoeuvring through dense forests and expertly navigating tree trunks. Its ability to quickly flee when approached also suggests high agility.

Strength

Indicates the bird's physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.

With its powerful bill capable of stripping bark from trees and accessing food sources unavailable to smaller woodpeckers, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker exhibits exceptional strength for its size. Its loud drumming also indicates significant physical power.

Adaptability

Represents the bird's ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.

While historically adaptable to various bottomland forests, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker's specialised diet and habitat requirements suggest moderate adaptability. Its possible extinction due to habitat loss indicates limitations in adapting to significant environmental changes.

Aggressiveness

Measures the bird's territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not known for aggressive behaviour towards other species. However, its powerful foraging technique and territorial drumming suggest a moderate level of assertiveness in defending resources and territory.

Endurance

Reflects the bird's stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

The bird's ability to engage in prolonged, vigorous foraging activities, including powerful drumming and stripping bark from trees, indicates high endurance. Its potential to cover large areas in search of suitable habitat also suggests considerable stamina.

Ivory-billed Woodpeckers primarily feed on wood-boring beetle larvae, which they extract from beneath the bark of dead or dying trees. They also consume fruits, nuts, and other insects.

Their strong bill allows them to access food sources unavailable to smaller woodpeckers, reducing competition.

Ivory-billed Woodpeckers are known for their powerful, rapid drumming on trees, which they use for communication and foraging. They typically forage in pairs, systematically stripping bark from dead or dying trees to access beetle larvae. These birds are generally wary and quick to flee when approached, making observation challenging.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker's call is described as a nasal 'kent' or 'hant' sound, often compared to a toy trumpet or clarinet. Their distinctive double-knock drumming pattern, louder and deeper than other woodpeckers, is a key identifier. The drumming is often described as sounding like two blows in quick succession: 'BAM-bam!'

Ivory-billed Woodpeckers form monogamous pairs, with breeding typically occurring between January and April. They excavate large, oval-shaped nest cavities high in living or dead trees, often reusing the same nest for multiple years.

Females typically lay 2-4 glossy white eggs. Both parents share incubation duties, which last about 20 days. After hatching, nestlings remain in the nest for approximately five weeks.

Fledglings continue to be fed by parents for several months after leaving the nest, learning complex foraging techniques.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker typically lives for 15 to 20 years.

Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is considered critically endangered and possibly extinct. Extensive habitat loss and historical hunting have decimated populations.

Despite occasional reported sightings, no conclusive evidence of living individuals has been documented since the 1940s. Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection and continued searches.

Look for large, freshly stripped areas on dead trees, a sign of foraging activity
Listen for loud, distinctive double-rap drumming sounds
Search in mature, undisturbed bottomland forests
Be extremely cautious and respectful, as any sightings could be of critical importance
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is most likely confused with the widespread Pileated Woodpecker. However, Pileated Woodpeckers are just half their weight, have white stripes above the eye and below the bill, and have much less white plumage on their wings. These smaller birds also have dark bills and eyes.

Adult Ivory-billed Woodpeckers have few natural predators due to their size, but potential threats include large raptors and arboreal snakes. Nest predators may include raccoons and squirrels.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is one of the largest woodpecker species in the world.
Its nickname, 'Lord God Bird,' comes from the exclamation people would make upon seeing it.
The last confirmed U.S. sighting was in Louisiana in 1944, sparking decades of debate and search efforts. The last sighting of the Cuban subspecies was in the late 1980s.
A 2022 study found some evidence for their continued existence, but concrete proof in the form of high-resolution photographs or footage remains elusive.
Today, taxidermy specimens are still displayed at various museums.

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Is there a reward if you find an Ivory-billed Woodpecker?

Finding the critically endangered or extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker alive and well would be rewarding enough for most birdwatchers, but various rewards have been offered to assist in finding and leading scientists to these birds. At one point, there was even a reward of $50,000 on offer!

Why did people hunt Ivory-billed Woodpeckers?

Ivory-billed Woodpeckers were large birds that were hunted for their food value but also for their desirable eggs and feathers. They were also taken for display in museums and collections.

Visual Identification

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Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Distribution

Elevation Range

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Distribution Map

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Behaviour and Ecology

Bird Attributes

Bird Attributes Explained

Attribute Categories:

Understanding the Ratings:

Agility

Strength

Adaptability

Aggressiveness

Endurance

Diet

Behaviour

Vocalisation

Nesting & Breeding

Lifespan

Conservation and Status

Global Conservation Status

Population Data

Rarity Index

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FAQs

Is there a reward if you find an Ivory-billed Woodpecker?

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Similar Birds

Pileated Woodpecker

References