Ivory-billed Woodpecker Trip Report, Ecological Notes and ...

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Trip Report,
Ecological Notes and Discussion,
Choctawhatchee River, FL
by Fred A. Virrazzi
Painting by Janice Casper www.wallsofwonder.net

Table of Contents
Brief Introduction and Highlights: pg 1
Trip Preparation: pg 1
Daily Log, 12/3/06 to 12/9/06 pg 4
Observations, Results, Discussion
and Conclusions: pg 45
Methods: pg 45
General Habitat along the Choctawhatchee River: pg 45
Precautions When Visiting the River: pg 46
Forest Ecology: pg 47
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foraging Ecology: pg 49
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Nesting Ecology: pg 50
Predator Community Composition: pg 54
Birds Found on the River: pg 56
Pileated Woodpecker Observations: pg 58
Putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker Observations: pg 59
Manifestation of Wariness in Species and the
Ivory-billed Woodpecker: pg 61
Results/Conclusions: pg 64
Acknowledgements: pg 67
Proper Citation of this Work: pg 68
Reprint Information: pg 68
Bibliography: pg 68

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Trip Report, Ecological Notes and Discussion,
Choctawhatchee River
Brief Introduction and Highlights: A field trip to the Choctawhatchee River,
Florida occurred from 12/2-12/10/06. 12/3 to 12/9 was spent in the field looking and listening
for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers while noting the natural history of a continuous, 60 mile stretch of
the Choctawhatchee River (pronounced locally Choc-taw-HATchee) and its streams in the
panhandle of Florida. An additional 6 miles were hiked. An Auburn University (AU) team of
scientists/students reported suggestive evidence of Ivory-billeds gathered in 2005-06 along this
river. Local newspaper accounts (Anniston Star) also related reports prior to and completely
independent of AU.
6 ½ days were spent birding via canoe with hiking and camping near the river. All birds and
numbers were recorded except for vultures, most high soaring birds, American Robins (too
numerous) and some groups of small, silent passerines in the trees since none of these could be
large woodpeckers. Recording them would have lessoned the chances of seeing large
woodpeckers.
Upon my return the field trip notes, observations and literature review were combined to produce
this report.
Total woodpeckers 304
Ivory-billed Woodpecker 1 putative, not seen, one double rap heard
Pileated Woodpecker 49
Northern Flicker 87
Red-bellied Woodpecker 104
Downy Woodpecker 25
Hairy Woodpecker 3
Red-headed Woodpecker 2
Yellow-breasted Sapsucker 33
Other species of note:
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 (rare in Florida)
American Bittern 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 24
Barred Owl 27
Winter Wren 19
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
Blue-headed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 9
Belted Kingfisher 9
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Trip Preparation: Scores of eyewitness reports over the last few years of Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers in various southern US river systems had fostered a long standing desire to search
for this species since the Cuban discoveries of the 80’s.
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In addition there have been dozens of first hand, reliable reports of people hearing intriguing
calls, putative calls and/or seemingly unique double knocking that may be Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers. Some of these sounds were recorded when heard by human ears and automated
systems recorded many more sounds, some that can be attributed to putative Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers. Richard Prum of Yale, an original doubter of at least the Arkansas video evidence
agreed after a presentation of recent Arkansas recordings that the audio evidence indicated a pair
of Ivory-billeds.
From this it seemed a more workman-like field trip could be planned with some minimal chance
that an Ivory-billed Woodpecker (IBWO) could be heard and/or seen. From 1986 to 2006 most
of the modern and older publications, literature, postings and the results of searches for the Ivorybilled
were read or reread.
Opinions were formed on the relative strength of different search methodologies based on the
observations, facts, assertions and success of others. Each of the four disjunct areas I have paid
particular attention to have different habitats, sizes, private property/access problems, hunting
seasons and seasonal fluctuations in water levels that influence selection of search areas and
certainly influence methodologies. In December 2006 I had several days available and even
though a suboptimal month for vocalizations in most or all Ivory-billed areas I was easily forced
into the field. Having only nine days influenced choosing a search area of some quality but not a
prohibitively expansive area.
Publications by Auburn University (AU) and my info gathering indicated that the
Choctawhatchee River had substantial public lands, no hunting in early Dec. and had not been
thoroughly surveyed for several reasons by AU except for a small, two square mile study area and
some unknown number of short visits to the rest of the river. A review of the occurrence of
certain key "indicator" species to qualitatively infer past birding pressure on the Choctawhatchee
was realized by reviewing the Florida Breeding Bird surveys. Swallow-tailed Kite, Broadwinged
Hawk, Mississippi Kite, Barred Owl, Kentucky Warbler and other species that should be
found in acceptable numbers in the drainage were found to be more lightly reported than would
be expected if the river was thoroughly covered.
Aerials concluded that the roughly N to S flowing river (except East River Island area) was in an
~ 2 to 3 mile wide corridor of riparian habitat bounded by some agricultural lands, roads, clear
cut areas, upland forests and pine plantations. This could confine individual pairs of Ivory-billeds
to a more linear and defined foraging area or territory in comparison to areas like the Big Woods,
the Pearl, Atchafalaya or Apalachicola that are much larger and complex ecosystems than the
Choctawhatchee. In addition any hypothetical territories could be conveniently and roughly
bisected by a survey line, that being the river. The water body would provide an open area to
possibly view a passing bird while at the same time providing a quiet and unobtrusive way of
doing an informal or formal breeding bird survey which is mostly done by ear. In the fall and
winter the noisy, dry leaves under foot are antithetical to observing this rare and wary species
forcing one to consider using waterways. The Choctawhatchee Ivory-billeds (sorry insert
putative before Ivory-billeds whenever its absence bothers you) were first located from the water
by AU.
So it would be the Florida panhandle. A few friends were asked at a late date to go but when they
insisted on hotel beds, 2 to 12 month notice, marital and parental blessing and guaranteed cell
phone access I quickly turned my time to trip logistics rather than pursuit of company. Besides
being alone would eliminate some of the problems with modern searches; too much movement,
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noise and internal distractions. Note that a solo trip like this has it drawbacks and regardless of
advantages is not recommended for all searchers (see discussion section).
Pairs could have territories on one or more portions of the river and any initial trip should just
assess a good length of the river. On the final day of the trip or on a subsequent trip any areas
with scaling sign, sounds, vocalizations or sightings could be more thoroughly investigated on
foot or by canoe. AU would be given any important information gathered.
Pops made some minor touch ups on the canoe camo paint and seats. I prepared and laminated
the maps and gathered the various GPS, camping and camera equipment. "Bird" Casper shared
some pointers on his GPS unit and reminded me of the long list of things I allegedly have lost of
his over the years while on various excursions. ‘Turk” Meriney never provided the promised life
jacket. He must have based my swimming ability on the occasion when I impressively swam
back to the boat in the Hudson Canyon, 50 miles offshore. It was a hot day, a swim seemed
appropriate; no shark had been seen until I was a hundred feet from the boat.
The plan was to do the best 60 miles of the river in 6 to7 days with a completely provisioned
canoe that would be put in once and come out a week later, hopefully intact and downstream.
Field time would be sunrise to sunset. At various points hikes would be taken into select adjacent
areas along with canoeing up promising tributaries/streams. Entering the suspected AU study
area or streams would not occur.
The canoe was loaded on top and pointed S; some shuteye in NC was grabbed at some friends’
home after watching Rutger’s football lose in OT. Upon arrival, the terra firma around Morrison
Springs was birded, livery arranged; a local related that a reliable naturalist had reported a double
rap a few days before about 15 miles N of my desired put in spot on Route 90. Recalling that
there were some pockets of habitat and the WMA was up to 2 miles wide up there I choose to go
with this “hot” lead. I was put in at 7 AM on December 4 at Bakers Landing (Old Warehouse
ramp) on the west side about 12 miles via road and 15 miles via river N of Route 90. Realizing
that this change in plans may make the best habitat, East River Island, unreachable since it was to
be visited in the last few days of the "original" trip it was still the choice to make. A lead is a lead
and originally Prof. Geoff Hill of AU had been told by a local years ago that there were birds
even further N up the Choctawhatchee, perhaps in the Pea River, AL. That tip influenced him to
keep an open mind about the river's potential for this rare denizen.
Lists, notes and rough maps were produced but at times, necessary canoe maneuvers, map
reading, writing, waving the camera at fleeing Pileateds, packing gear, etc., precluded constantly
birding. Minimal pishing or scanning of winter feeding flocks was done since an increased
species list or numbers was not a goal. No recording gear, tapes or players were brought since
there was a plethora of audio data gathered already and the gear already being brought was a bit
excessive for a minimalist like me. More importantly the use of tapes to attract such a rare bird
seems unethical and potentially disruptive.
Friends sympathetic to the woodpecker’s existence mildly scoffed at any chance of seeing such a
rare bird but I half-jokingly said there were 14 sightings in about 300 field days by AU, 1
sighting/21 days and I would be there 7 days giving me a 33% chance of seeing the bird!
Naturally my chances were much less since AU increased their sightings by searching an area
where prior success had materialized. Finding “their birds” was not a goal of this trip but finding
a new populated area adding to location data on the species was.
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Chances of hearing the bird seemed far from impossible with perhaps 100 people claiming a kent
or a double knock recently with on average something being heard for a good portion of the
people who had spent significant time in specific areas of AR, LA/MS or FL. Roger Tory
Peterson’s writings related that one should expect to hear ten Kentucky Warblers for every one
seen. Wary seems to roughly describe the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and Kentucky Warbler so it
was thought that the chances of hearing a bird were a magnitude greater than seeing one.
Daily Log: (expanded from original field notes)
December 3rd, Sunday, Took some shortcuts through SW Georgia off I 20 and took a minor
detour of a few miles to see a bit of Alabama. There were some large forested areas near an
assumed fish farm where many egrets and herons congregated. Various headwater streams of the
Apalachicola River originate here and after entering Florida, a minute stream was marked,
Chipola. The stream grows into another impressive river flowing with Ivory-billed rumors like
the Apalachicola.
While birding a few hours around Morrison Springs, livery was arranged. There was a medium
aged Bald Cypress stand there and later I ground-truthed that it may extend right to the river’s
edge about 1 mile to the east. Because of a recent woodpecker report I decided to start the next
AM ~ 15 river miles N from where originally planned.
On the west side of the riparian corridor were scattered farms. Many border areas had extensive
plantations of pine..
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Morrison Springs is 300 feet deep and visited by divers; Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) is
dominant.
December 4th Monday, in the river at 7 AM with Bill's help; it was 48 deg. A few hikes and a
good pace eventually left 9 miles of river behind me. Two Anhingas gave the old name of Water
Turkey some merit by flying low across the river with spread tails.
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Choctawhatchee River, this trip’s starting point, not all that far from Alabama.
-
The canoe finally hits the water. The river was only 75 feet wide here and the woods
immature in places.
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There was a house boat every few miles.
A patch of holly trees was filled with American Robins and other birds.
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The Blue River Spring is a short run of 100 feet from the west side of the river ~ 2 1/2 miles
south of this trips input.
This appears to be the entrance to BlueRiver Spring.
The warmer spring water, ~65 degrees, in comparison to the river’s low 50s, provided a
microhabitat for insects, which in turn attracted birds. Here were numerous kinglets, 2 Pine
Warblers and the trip’s first Black-and-white Warbler. Winter Wrens were common along the
main river with their treble notes easily recognizable. One or two were found each mile.
Evidently they detected the camouflaged canoe and the few attempts at a photo failed. During a
forest hike the GPS was tested while a foraging Orange-crowned and Yellow-throated Warbler
were at a west landing in a large secondary patch. Most of the best habitat was found in the 4
miles just north of Route 90. Large stretches of the river above Route 90 were bordered by only a
hundred to two hundred yards of deciduous forest, appearing to be 30-80 years old with fields or
lumbered areas beyond that.
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The warmer percolating water attracted insects and birds.
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Looking east while leaving the short run to the spring.
Back on the river.
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After viewing a large stretch of the watershed and relative habitat quality it would be surprising if
any Ivory-billeds are nesting in the 15-mile stint above 90. The lane could be non-breeding
habitat, feeding area of secondary importance at best and/or an outbreeding dispersal corridor
allowing birds to move up and down the large watershed. The tip did not pan out.
Setting up late on a 2-acre sandbar, which this river is famous for in canoeing circles, a fire was
kindled and a Corona enjoyed but fatigue prevented searching for the lime. The food bag was
tied up but certainly wasn't bear proof. A fight to the death was in order if any animal came
around thinking I should live off my fat and wildberries for the upcoming week. Besides it was
unethical to compete with Ivory-billeds.
Landing for first night’s camping on a sandbar that this river is famous for. Killdeers and a
Spotted Sandpiper tolerated my presence.
Barred Owls were about and the nearby, less than emphatic, oft repeated 3 or 4 toots in the early
AM revealed a Northern Saw-whet Owl, certainly very rare for Florida. A fellow Fred from New
Jersey, claims the first Florida record and specimen from years back from St. Augustine. The
Saw-whet’s presence indicated the severity of the lingering cold front but I made no connection at
the time. There were various vine tangles, hedgerows, a few pines, and low secondary growth
making the location acceptable for a Saw-whet unsuccessfully fleeing a record chill.
December 5th Tuesday, 6 AM 24 degrees. "Louis had a bad night. Once I thought he’d
died" (Deliverance). It was unexpectedly much colder than the average low I had researched for
early December. There was ice on everything and the Frosted Cheerios really were. Upward
spiraling fog floated from the relatively warm river surface. It was a good picture, but the
opportunity was initially passed as it would of required movement of my body that felt 20 years
older than yesterday.
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The dark brown wood of the canoe is white with glaze. Loading back up to leave and preparing to
hide all that color from wary eyes.
Focusing back on the task while jogging in place I thought that certainly they must eat more fruit
and berries in the winter since Cerambycid and Buprestid larvae must burrow deep in the wood at
this time of year. Ivory-bills may have a larger winter territory than they have in times of
invertebrate activity and seasonal food resource abundance.
Woodcocks lifted off like small dirigibles from the willow tangle as a bit of wood to thaw out was
gathered; a Spotted Sandpiper with its mesmerizing flight went downstream followed soon after
by my ice glazed paddle. The first Pileated of the trip sounded off but could not be located for a
picture-taking, dry run. The camera battery had drained down to nothing; another was loaded in
and the auto power off delay was changed from 4 minutes to 1. One battery gone in a day, two
batteries to go for six more days...hmm.
The fourth or fifth Pileated was the first to allow binning for a second through trees but still no
picture of any birds yet. It was hard to contemplate how even one experienced person could
mistake this for a “definite” Ivory-billed and left those elaborate plots involving multiple-cross
eyed conspirators to Oliver Stone fans.
Here in one of the last detailed historical accounts of an Ivory-billed from 1942 certain dramatic
differences in the species from a Pileated are noted: “Breathlessly we stalked the insistent toots,
stepping carefully, stealthily, so that no twig would crack. With our hearts pounding we tried to
keep cool, hardly daring to believe that this was it -- that this was what we had come fifteen
hundred miles to see. Straining our eyes, we discovered the first bird, half hidden by the leafage,
and in a moment it leaped upward into the full sunlight. This was no puny pileated; this was a
whacking big bird, with great white patches on its wings and a gleaming white bill. By its long
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ecurved crest of blackish jet we knew it was a female. Tossing its hammer-like head to right and
left, it tested the diseased trunk with a whack or two as it jerked upward. Lurching out to the end
of a broken-off branch, it pitched off on a straight line, like a duck, its wings making a wooden
sound." (Roger Tory Peterson).
This account from the Singer Tract where some birds had been acclimated to approach, a’ la
Mountain Gorilla, by the caretaker J.J. Kuhn, emphasizes the great size disparity between these
species. In addition RTP had seen a female which are thought to be ~ 5% smaller than males.
The Ivory-billed subspecies of the US is ~ 18% longer than the smaller subspecies of the Pileated
found in the South. Even more distinguishing than simple length, an Ivory-billed is ~ 60% larger
in weight and assumed volume, with a disproportionate amount of the increased girth being
concentrated in the “shoulders and first ribs” of this specie’s torso.
Size is a field mark that some observers are better able to decipher than others. And using size
when the two or more pertinent species are not in the same field of view, which is often the case,
is of decreasing value in direct proportion with the distance of the bird from the viewer. Certainly
the field notes from certain modern observers of Ivory-billeds may have been less ambiguous or
vague in the use of “large”.
However, to suggest that experienced birders would confuse the two species, even in flight, at a
distance of 30 to 100 yards, based on size and jiz alone, is to negate what experienced birders do
in the field every day. They view one, two or more distinguishing, unmistakable field marks and
the size of a bird and correctly call out the ID between even two congenerics. Here we have
species of different genera, jiz, size, flight characteristics and several plumage characteristics.
If we are to portray the field identification problem by comparing the difference in a yardstick
(Pileated) to a meter stick (Ivory-billed) it is not only substantially wrong in overall length and
relative length differences but also that should be one comparatively, wider, plumper, uniquely
shaped and mostly white meter stick for the Ivory-billed.
Comparing a flying plump, barrel bodied, 20 inch long, 75% white winged model plane with a
17 inch long slim bodied , 25% white winged model plane would be more appropriate. After
seeing the smaller, slimmer and darker model ~500-2,000 times in your life, postulations whether
you could easily tell these two flying models apart at 25 yards, 50 yards, 100 yards, etc. are left to
the reader.
The habitat between Routes 90 and I 10 was scenic and dense, but not nearly cathedral-like. But
still the habitat was noticeably improving. The first person sighted on the journey was a
fisherman happily proclaiming eight catfish in a few hours. He had no motor and when asked in a
contrived southern accent what he was using he said, “They’re hittin’ stink bait”. I nodded my
approval as if I knew what stink bait was. Certainly it must smell bad but not to muddogs.
Wanting to ask him about local birds I paused, afraid his detection of either my bad southern
accent or Jersey accent would cause some resurrection of long past battles perhaps leading to a
more intimate introduction to stink bait.
Below I 10 the habitat again improved slightly; a wilderness hike beckoned. There was modest
dead wood in the 100 acres explored with the forest consisting of 60- 80' deciduous trees. The
numerous, mostly dried sloughs and holes were a trap waiting to claim the recently desk ridden.
Carefully crossing a V shaped slough my boots slid and my feet raced from under me.....my
hands unconsciously opened in surprise flinging the camera and long lens up and then the
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equipment met gravity..... recovering in mid fall I reached out recapturing it before it met the
ground. I took the expected resounding thump to the shoulder and head, areas generally difficult
to damage on me. Getting up I inspected the camera then examined the slough mud looking to
blame the crack in the sidewalk for the slapstick fall. The mud did possess an exceptionally
frictionless quality. Scores of visits to the glades, Tortugas, Fakahatchee Strand, Okeefenokee
Swamp, Big Cypress, Loop Trail, etc. but still northern swamp boy meets new enemy………. and
will remember.
Interstate 10.
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The second person of the trip.
December 6 th Wednesday, Up at 5 AM, in the water at 6 with numerous Pileateds in this
stretch and several Red-shouldered Hawks. Woodpecker numbers and diversity are increasing
and soon every species expected inclusive of Red-headed was found. A Pileated single knocked
in need of territorial security…....sounded similar to what’s been heard for thirty years.
The location of a large holly tree stand that attracted good numbers of birds of a handful of
species was noted. Ivory-billed may be more dependant on vegetable matter (nuts, berries, acorns
and fruits) in the fall when beetle life cycles make larvae more difficult to find. Larval biomass
may be at its lowest in fall and winter when many species are overwintering in the adult or egg
stage. Cooler weather may force some larvae deeper into the food substrate and the feeding rate
of the beetles may slow. Woodpeckers that hear, detect feeding vibrations or smell grubs may
have more difficulty in locating and reaching prey at this time of year.
Certain large Coleopteran species can take two or even three years to mature but these species are
certainly rarer now with the old growth forests a thing of the past. Dispersal of phototactic insects
via moonlight certainly has been disrupted by lights not engineered for biodiversity friendliness.
Modern mid-successional forests may be dominated by beetle species that are smaller in size and
multivoltine or complete one life cycle a year. Foraging regimes for the “modern” Ivory-billed
may include the taking of more larvae per time period with the average larvae being smaller than
an Ivory-billed took in old growth habitats of the past.
A few Blue Jays were in this stretch. Eastern Phoebes were numerous and certainly southern
rivers like the Choctawhatchee are important wintering areas for this short distance migrant
flycatcher. The journey was running a bit late as far as downriver progress; the fluid lane
swerving back and forth like Lombardi Street more than was appreciated during the hectic, trip
planning process. Canoeing upstream to Morrison Springs might have to be skipped.
Expecting to recognize Morrison Springs outflow stream's junction with the river by the incoming
flow of clearer spring water, you actually come across a fork to the west, also flowing southish.
This turn to the west must lead you to the incoming Morrison Springs stream. The fork is
recognizable by the abrupt tree community change to cypress, to the west, right about there. A
good map is needed for the river which has many switchbacks and certainly the channel has
changed many times in the past. Older resacas and oxbows pop up here and there and even a map
and patience can’t always tell you where the heck you are. It reminded me of some of the dense
lowland jungle rivers in the Osa peninsula of Costa Rica where we searched unsuccessfully for
Harpy Eagles many moons ago and were forced to walk in the river with crocodiles to make
camp before dark. We did see a tapir and many nice birds.
The Morrison Springs area is dominated by Taxodium. Since nothing gleamed from the recent
literature on encounters indicated that the Ivory-billed is an obligate forager in cypress stands the
side trip was skipped for the more diverse tree community and the associated myriad of feeding
opportunities found along the main branch. Bald Cypress has a natural oil, Cypressene, that gives
even dead wood some resistance to various fungi and insects and therefore Picidae foraging
opportunities are not substantial.
Continuing briskly down the river several Red-shouldered Hawks were very vocal; the majority
were reacting to my presence effectively warning all animals within a large area that an intruder
15

was present. Only one out of the score heard on the trip were actually scolding before the canoe
was within a few hundred yards of their assumed position. They were also close to impossible to
view well as they loudly skulked along the entire length of the river although by far they reached
their greatest numbers in this section which had some islands and some 90' trees. This section
had some Ivory-billed potential assuming these forest buteos aren't a predation problem or a
perceived predation problem by one of the largest flying woodpecker meals in the world, causing
them to avoid the area at least for nest selection.
The float had some straight stretches; with the usual 2 mile an hour flow on the 250-foot wide
river there was plenty of opportunity to think while looking perpendicularly into the woods. The
best habitat stretches with the highest number of large trees, roosting holes, nesting holes,
standing dead wood and food availability also seemed to have the highest density of Barred Owls,
Red-shouldered Hawks and perhaps other arboreal predators. Since Ivory-billeds nest a bit earlier
than other Picidaes, late winter/early spring predator demographics should be important to any
predictive model for IBWOs.
Ivory-billed nest hole selection may be influenced by multi-variate factors with forest
characteristics beyond tree diameter at breast height (dbh, DBH), canopy height, immediate tree
community composition and standing dead wood concentration also important. Predation
pressure is discussed in the results section of this report.
Barred Owls were numerous.
On the east somewhere was a lake according to the map and a small stream gave it’s outflow
away. Sliding the canoe into a still slough, the sloped sides covered with that innocuously
appearing mud, the bank was carefully scaled displaying that a new norm of reaction had
developed within me in minutes. Entering the woods; the hideous crunching of the dry leaves
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impeded the approach to this isolated, tropical looking lake that had leaning dead timber on it’s
shores.
Finding it impossible to be quiet an odd number of irregular steps was taken on my toes followed
by stopping; the process was then repeated, imitating a browsing deer rather than a potentially
deadly, two-legged predator. An Anhinga and Wood Duck seemed confused when they finally
saw me and the ducks never took flight. Numerous dead trees were in the area and finally some
older roost holes of large woodpeckers were found. Various woodpeckers were about and as a
soft Barred Owl call was produced, a Hairy Woodpecker and some sapsuckers balked.
Back down river a crystal clear stream borne from a spring flowed into the main channel. Verdant
vegetation on the steep, exposed banks beckoned me in as if an emerald gate. It seemed and was
a special place and the deciduous forest with oaks of southern persuasion, tupelo and hickory
soon gave way to mostly young cypress.
A stream entered the bottomlands.
A somewhat odd shaped beaver head paddled with the current towards me from a distance. The
odd cranium belonged to a North American River Otter; it swam within twenty feet then dove and
submarined underneath the canoe never to be seen again.
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-
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While still grinning over this, a rufous American Bittern was surprised while lounging or fishing
15 feet from me completely in the open on the edge of the crystal stream. It waddled away over
the bank leaving only its upper torso in view and sky-pointed while keeping an eye on me from
behind a rise. I moved on to convince it that this cryptic technique was effective and to preserve
its self esteem if it had anything like that.
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American Bittern.
The stage seemed set for something spectacular to appear and my awareness was heightened. I
did a soft Barred Owl call and a large, silent woodpecker flew through my peripheral vision in
from the left and landed on the back of a 90-foot tall tree directly upstream. It called and gave
itself away; it was the only Pileated of scores encountered that posed long enough for a photo on
the entire trip. The male hammered away at the bark in a peculiar way, with single exaggerated
blows a few seconds apart. They were more like territorial knocks but I wasn’t sure what he
expected me to do.
Both Pileateds and Ivory-billeds have been hunted in at least Florida by a subset of the hungry
locals who swear to their tastiness; neither species should be expected to be easily captured on
film in parts of the South. A local enforcement agent confirmed that Pileateds have been eaten in
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the area and there is that 1950s report of an Ivory-billed being served up in Florida for dinner
(Miller, circa 2000). This recent hunting was preceded by southern Indian tribes trading the bird's
bills with northern cousins who valued them for chieftain coronets (Catesby, 1731). When the
native Indian tribes received guns from the settlers there was increased hunting pressure on any
animal whose odds of killing could be improved with the use of gunpowder. Of course Native
American populations also rapidly plummeted due to diseases which they had little immunity to.
Male Pileated Woodpecker from a good distance.
Soon the stream split into shallow fingers that massaged their way into the cypress wood and
disappeared; it was time to turn around and flow with the current back to the main course hoping
the same characters and perhaps some new players would be seen.
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Upon returning to the wider and less intense river the birds that had warned the local menagerie
of my presence as I purportedly moved inland with silence and camouflage were jotted down.
First within 50 feet of the mouth, a pair of Wood Ducks noisily took flight, their wings whistling.
At least they didn't whine their squeal. Then a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker kerred away at me
immediately followed by the even louder kerring of a Red-shouldered Hawk. A hundred yards in
the assumed same Wood Ducks had enough of me and this time squealing was in order, since not
squealing hadn't stopped me earlier. A group of Wild Turkeys scampered into the Taxodium and
Sweet Gum stand. Finally a Hairy complained. So much for surprising a Southern Giant
Woodpecker on the noiseless water.
On some sweeping 90-180-degree river turns the undercutting of the sand banks was severe.
Here like in many portions of the dynamic river edge, tree roots were exposed causing stress and
mortality. A string of ~ 80' tall planted pine trees that had died in the last few years were
noticed. The bark scaling was excessive on a few from base to crown. Subsequently on my drive
through wooded Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas I couldn't find any recently deceased tree
with even 10% of this surface scaling. This was possible Ivory-billed work right in front of me
(see pictures). Unfortunately the steep bank, littered with trunks, negated closer investigation
with my eyes, caliper or camera.
Two views of the same tree.
-
22

Still the same tree showing scaling.
- -
-
23

Beetles on earth for 330 million years, can detect chemicals from stressed trees.
24

The dynamic bank has caused tree stress and mortality for some time.
More scaled trees in the same general area.
-
25

Thick tangle along the bank showing years of accumulated trees.
-
A
26

At the next boat ramp was my first encounter with assumed bird watchers some 35 miles down
trip. One yelled some questions to me, asking where my put in was and where my destination
was................the three days of solitude had caused me to forget how to speak and I mumbled out
some vague words to these strangers who were probably seeking the same answers as me. The
water level was down for December and the steep, undercut outer bends of the river exposed 10’
high, unlandable, tangled root walls. The inner bends with their lower elevation and sand
deposition supported more obligate wetland species such as willows and this was the only
camping choice available at sunset. If you were in Grizzly Bear country this was an area you
would never hike in let alone offer up a prone body while camping.
The inner bends of southern rivers with their sandy soil, periodic flooding, low willow tangles
and herbaceous understory comprise an important wintering microhabitat for North American
birds. These areas have the thickest understory since the Salix sp. adapted to these soil and
hydrologic conditions grow no more than 20 feet tall allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor.
The river forest in comparison had a relatively unbroken canopy succeeding towards a gallery
forest allowing limited sunlight.
The tepid oasis caused the eddying water near the bank to support an increased metamorphic rate
for Dipterans (e.g., flies and mosquitoes). Somewhat shielded from winds and exposed to winter
rays the relatively higher ambient temperature in the willow bends congregate insects in fall and
winter. The insects provide needed sustenance for birds which in approximate order of
abundance here were Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers,
Carolina Wrens, White-throated Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes, Northern Flickers, Winter Wrens,
Swamp Sparrows, Eastern Towhees, Common Yellowthroats, Song Sparrows, Blue-headed
Vireos and Gray Catbirds. Wood Ducks were abundant in the cover provided by the willows
along with the occasional Mallard and Great Blue Heron.
27

As darkness fell a deer snorted out its breathy warning bark at me and a raccoon rambling on his
route was surprised to find a tent in it’s way. A massive beaver slapped his tail on the surface.
An ostrich egg-shaped woodcock dropped in like a lobbed football and landed in the tangle 30
feet away. A Barred Owl silently glided in and perched less than 50 feet away while hooting a
few protests to my squatting. Thick understory and a slight drizzle prevented a fire so cooking
some soup on a sterno was a trip first while suffering the only mosquito bites of the expedition.
A large moon rose casting subtle shadows on the tent that emphasized the wilderness of the river
basin.
December 7th Thursday, It was pleasant sleeping conditions in the 40’s and the paddling
began on the river by 7 AM. Almost immediately a scenic stream leading east into an area of a
few square miles of good habitat was reached. There were a few dangerous cuts and turns here to
enter a small, tree enshrined delta with many submerged logs and invisible knees. While gliding
silently into the narrow, natural boulevard lined with 60' cypress a distant shot rang out. This
caused someone unseen 100 feet inland from me to yell out "hello, don't shoot" thinking I may
also be a hunter. It was the birders from yesterday and we exchanged hellos and shared a few
comments on Ivory-billed news and politics. They had on waders up to their ears which I thought
was strange since there were few streams that were impassable or even flowing this dry fall.
Perhaps this stream was their main search area.
There was substantial stands of forest along the river.
Continuing about 3/8 of a mile up this stream brought me through the territories of numerous
woodpeckers and an always nervous Belted Kingfisher. Perhaps being the first intruder these
animals had seen in weeks, they all vocalized. A Barred Owl was found with drooping eyelids in
a large hole in a cypress. When logs blocked the stream the exploring continued further upstream
on foot where numerous standing and fallen deadwood rotted. Young and older cypress trees of
28

multiple generations lived there (see pictures).
There was an abundance of loose, standing bark with a surprising minority of it missing from the
mostly, long ago dead trees. Deciding to pull off a few square feet of bark to record what
invertebrates where there caused surprise when the first piece had 5 huddled Brown Anoles, an
introduced lizard species, under it.
During the trip ~ 6 square feet of fairly loose bark was examined yielding 5 Brown Anoles, one
30 mm centipede, one Carabid ground beetle and one 10 mm spider. Most of the bark pieces
were replaced.
Beetle larvae left their mark.
-
29

Large cypress trees were spread out in the river basin, but were not found during every hike.
There were groups of these trees in several places visited.
30

Three foot high pneumataphores allow cypress root oxygen exchange during high water.
Continuing the journey back on the main river I began scouting for both an area with optimal
mature habitat that could also serve as a campsite if the hike lasted longer than anticipated. Bank
conditions were difficult but a pullout was picked.
A nice loop hike to the NW for over 2 hours produced a good list of birds but nothing
extraordinary. Canoed a few miles downstream and picked a campsite that could also provide
some good hiking the next morning. It was apparent at this stage that the pace would have to be
hastened if the 120’plus trees in the East River Island area were to be gazed upwards at. That
area could be some of the best habitat left in Florida.
Throughout the day the habitat was acceptable with a relatively complex forest community
consisting of a mainly 60’ to 80’ trees with a few reaching above the canopy per acre on average.
It wasn’t a coarse canopy but still seemed very livable if you were a Campephilus (grub lover).
December 8th Friday, It was quite a cold night..... again in the low twenties, as usual a great
vacation spot had been chosen for relaxation. Every piece of clothing was put on. That
inadvertently increased my girth to proportions that prohibited the zippering of the sleeping bag.
Shaped like an anaconda that had swallowed a Capybara, several hours of sleep were squeezed
from the night.
A loop hike was planned in an area of decent canopy, 60 -90' with a diversity of trees that turned
out to have linear corridors of cypress and sizable natural pine stands. DBH of the majority of
trees was 18”-24" with some cypress up to 6'. Tree density varied from ~100 to 200/acre.
31

Standing and fallen deadwood was average with a few to several standing dead trees per acre.
Bark scaling was minimal but long dead trees showed plenty of woodpecker work. Large tree
holes in this area as elsewhere in the basin were very scarce which may be an indication that the
Pileateds were able to find enough food negating the need to excavate time-consuming holes.
Regardless my observations were rather informal in these data sets and any inferences are not
empirically based.
Leaf crunching again was irritating and I couldn't imagine getting close to any animal unless it
wanted to see me. Walking in a deer-like pattern with frequent stops was a slow way to cover the
few miles I wanted to see and soon Homo habilis was plodding through the woods. Woodpeckers
were in good numbers including a few Pileateds. The habitat looked acceptable for an Ivorybilled
and 5% of the area consisted of patches of trees less than 30' in height these being willows
that naturally have an unimpressive maximum height; the other 95 % was secondary forest of
moderate height. The area, like much of the Choctawhatchee had ground cover of Saw
Palmettos. Another plant with berries was photographed (see pictures).
The perimeter of a bit less than a square mile was covered. The area seemed relatively diverse
for the basin with different plant communities every few hundred yards. The final turn back to
the campsite at about 10:00 was along a drying streambed, with intermittent pools of dark water
and some large diameter cypress trees. Their straight, lower trunks reminded me of the trees in
the John Dennis and Lowery Ivory-billed pictures and with the hike soon to end I decided to go
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
At this location a strong and powerful, woody and vibrant double knock hit me fully as I directly
faced the source direction.
I was a bit shocked at my luck rather than by what was happening and was partially paralyzed for
a few seconds but calm. The knock came in from an ~ 5 degree angle above horizontal indicating
it was produced from some noticeable height above grade from my position. The topography in
the direction of the knocks was later found to be level. The first knock was much heavier than
anything a person could easily produce with the second note a mere echo of the first, perhaps onehalf
the volume, coming much less than a fifth of a second after the first knock had started. The
first knock blended into the second knock since the vibrations weren’t completely done from the
first knock after the second knock began. A unique quality of the knocks was the vibrations felt
on my chest which was not dissimilar to how a Ruffed Grouse’s drumming can sometimes be felt
in your chest whether the drumming is silent or not to your ears.
The bird was to the NNW and the wind was ~ 5-7 mph N but minimal on the forest floor. The
estimated distance was 1/8 to 3/16 of a mile away. I have minimal familariaty with the
quantitative influence of wind on sound perception.
Keeping still and looking N through the forest for several minutes produced no more clues to the
bird’s location or presence. While taking some steps a low volume plaintive, creak-like eehhh, of
less than a half of a second was heard. This froze me; my pulse quickened. Staying still the soft,
quick eeeehhh was heard again a few minutes later but the angle was ~25 degrees above grade
meaning if a bird it had to be within ~350 feet of me. I saw nothing and attributed this to tree
creaking. Upon returning home I was a bit shocked to discover that the Auburn kent calls where
quite a bit more mellow and unassuming than the ten minute accumulated collection of kents and
calls from the Singer Tract. And to me the AU sounds had no “k” in the calls making them more
like what I had heard in the Choctawhatchee. Indeed the Singer recordings are known to be only
a partial collection of the vocalizations an Ivory-billed can do.
32

Had the bird approached closer after the double knock? Tropical Campephilus sps. are known to
flyover human intruders and then settle back at a distance to observe any perceived predators.
Regardless the moment had long past and my chance to investigate the source was gone. A
cautionary word to those searching is to listen to both the Macaulay Library and the Auburn U.
tapes before hitting the woods. Each has quite different calls.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/MacaulayLibrary/
http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss3/art2/ (hear appendices 7-10)
Blue black berries (hard to see) on this
understory plant could be elderberry, Sambucus sp, or Viburnum,
perhaps V. acerifolium; possibly a type of Greenbriar, Smilax sp.
Your average 7 foot dbh cypress. The bins are about 7 inches long.
The tree creaking kept me in the area for at least a half hour after the knocks. No Pileateds were
heard for ~ 30 minutes before the event or after. There had been a few Pileateds calling earlier in
the day but no other knocks were heard of any type of large woodpecker. I returned to the
33

campsite, which was only four hundred yards away. After a two minute lunch, a brisk hike to the
possible area of the knocks and some circling did not reveal any large woodpeckers. Staying out
about another hour must have put me within a few hundred yards of where the double knock
emanated from. There were several candidate 90’ trees of a few species that could have been the
substrate.
Staying in this neck of the woods for an extra day was a possibility but there were still some
hopefully excellent areas to inspect and still chances to see or hear another bird. Optimism was in
the air. There was quite a distance to go by late Saturday to reach the agreed pull out point and I
would break down camp while listening for any calls or knocks.
Being quite familiar with Pileated Woodpecker knocks from several states and Canada the subject
first knock almost dwarfed those knocks in volume and had a higher vibrant quality. I have also
heard double knocks from Pileateds a few times but these were always associated with sounding
for food or were part of a series of knocks that included mainly single knocks and/or calls. Again
the strength of the subject knock was greater than what I have ever heard from a Pileated in any
context. But considering variance in substrates how important is that statement?
Regardless of substrate each species has a physiological limit to its strength and it has been oft
reported that the Ivory-billed has a heavier knock than the Pileated. Never having heard a
Pileated knock with this power regardless of the substrate, with strength measured not only in
volume but in the resultant vibrations, made me feel quite suspicious of it being produced by a
Pileated.
The blows were probably not related to feeding or sounding knocks but a territorial expression.
The knocks were a well structured action by the producing woodpecker and was apparently not
part of a longer series, interrupted knock sequence or aberrant knocks as far as could be
discerned. The sounds produced were different than a late '05 pair of congeneric, Pale-billed
Woodpeckers we viewed from 75 feet away in Costa Rica doing a long series, lasting minutes, of
double knocks in that their second note more closely approached the volume of the first note and
there was a series of well spaced double knocks. In addition the volume and power of the Palebilled
knocks did not approach the power of the first knock of this day’s event.
34

Campsite along the river. Several hundred feet away a double knock occurred.
35

The spot where the double knock was heard from but looking northeast.
Upon my return all recently recorded double knocks from Arkansas and Florida and Pileated
knocks from the CLO and AU sites were reviewed. There are no known recordings of double
knocks from an Ivory-billed only the aforementioned putative double knocks recorded from
~2004 to 2006 by CLO and AU. The double knock sounded very much like the audio in
Appendix 4 of the Auburn U. paper (J. Hill et al. 2006) found here http://www.aceeco.org/vol1/iss3/art2/
. I am willing to listen to any tapes or read any description of Pileated
knocks that may support or refute the Ivory-billed Woodpecker hypothesis. I am especially
interested in any double knock audio on Pileateds that anyone could put me on.
Even knowing the extreme rarity of the species I would have to say that an Ivory-billed double
knock was heard rather than any unusual or rare type of Pileated Woodpecker knock. If I had
heard this knock and not known of the putative claims of AU for this river drainage I still would
be discussing this knock as being produced by a possible Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
This knock must stand on its own for appraisal but it is common practice for “surveyors” to be
aware of other unknown or unusual audio happenings being reported by others in the area they
are surveying. There are many reports of double-knocks from several human sources coming
from the Choctawhatchee. Any scientific hypothesis must closely fit the data and at this point the
data indicates an Ivory-billed Woodpecker or at least a putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker was
present on 12/8. However, I will continue to review descriptions of Pileated knocks and their
context and remain open minded.
After now being in the field for several days a bit of rejuvenation had occurred as the loading up
the canoe and sailing S towards the gulf continued. The bottomlands lay on both sides and
37

continued diverse habitat was found. Species continued to be counted and woodpeckers
represented a large percentage of the avian biomass in the watershed. Ahead lie a choice of
routes, with one a slight favorite over the other in relation to potential woodpecker habitat. As
the hairpin turn to pass through was reached the narrow passageway was found to be strewn with
logjams that could be even worse around a sweeping blind turn. Fierce back paddling resulted in
a hang-up on a log that was timely in allowing time to reassess the situation and seeming
obsolescence of the map.
Deciding to skip this blind curve, a route into an area of unknown character was chosen. Soon
the topography leveled and the downward slope of the river, which had been noticeable at times,
settled into a wide forested floodplain. A backwater swamp with a large patch of flooded
cypress trees formed where birds seemed to just stay out of sight a few trunks in from the dark
band of water in the main channel.
A Barred Owl perched 70 feet up in the V of a bald cypress took flight as approached, setting off
the calls of an unseen Pileated Woodpecker that in turn caused another woodpecker to chatter.
The glacially flowing murky liquid extended well into the swamp, its movement, if any,
imperceptible. Every downstream inch had to be generated by the paddle. The great straight
trunks of the cypress looked like something went awry as they split into several leafless
disfigured arms that Poe would have been proud off. Snapping the whip, the oar pace picked up
for several minutes when unexpectedly the canoe bow rose from the water and tilted the canoe
heavily to one side as an ancient, elephant sized knee grabbed the bottom of the canoe.
Shifting my weight to one side to prevent a spill, the canoe pivoted 180 degrees and then
pendulummed back and forth before coming to a stop with the canoe turned completely around.
In an awkward and backward, listing position I sank to the bottom of the canoe for stability and
the orange life jacket, well hidden as repulsive to any respected extinct species, was located and
actually put on. Being some place south of nowhere, it was not the time to go swimming and the
moss laden, vertical trunks of these old cypress trees didn’t seem to invite a needy and clingy
person. The unstable canoe was eased off the point with slow body lurching. A line further from
the trees was adhered to and the electric life jacket was again banished below.
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The river had spread into a slow moving, wide aqueduct with broad turns; Pied-billed Grebes
were fishing in the eddies and the crepuscular owls hooted from all directions. The turns in the
map were not lining up with the arcs the boat was navigating; regardless the sun’s position
indicated an encampment was needed. An inner bend supported a willow patch that had
accumulated a lot of wood from long gone floods. To signal this was a good spot the usual
beaver tail slap on the surface of the water chorused in. Two deer snorted and bounded N from
the peninsula tip.
There were large areas of cypress in various sections of the bottomlands.
With some effort a fire was roaring and with this being the probable last camp the food provisions
were hit hard. A double helping of soup was followed by some fragmented chips. The long lost
Jiffy Pop was found and the hair on one hand was burned off as the bulbous mass of tinfoil was
whirled into a whooping fifty popped kernels…..and a bulbous mass of warm tinfoil. The bark of
a birch tree accidentally catching fire from a fallen candle and quickly spreading interrupted the
stillness of the night.
To prepare for my re-entry into society water filled bottles were placed upright near the coals. In
the 30-degree breeze, a standup shower complete with a half gallon of warm water was suffered
through for the sake of others. Obtaining this minimal level of hygiene was painful. The dirtiest
clothes burned well.
Despite being a little uneasy about not knowing exactly where the campsite was in relation to the
rest of world, sleep came quickly.
39

A Barred Owl, photoshopped.
The last campsite, a bit inland from a thin willow tangle with the river barely visible.
40

December 9 th , Saturday, 6:30, 32 degrees. It was again subfreezing but the sun broke the
chill and I took a hike on the inner bend of the peninsula that is surely submerged during wet
seasons. Hunting had just started but no locals were nearby since not a boats murmur had been
heard after 5 AM. After a bit a small sleek missile of a ship broke the silence and they zipped by
not noticing me in my camo, one hundred feet away. I broke camp and the water easily suffered
my small wake. A large appendix of the channel reached back north, into the bottomlands with
70-foot tall cypress trees standing watch. A short loop into this area was partly to get respite
from the wind that was making the canoe zag. Pileateds were found and a few Red-shouldered
Hawks but the breeze made vocalizations of many species difficult to discern.
Soon river branches, Holmes Creek and swamps joined at a series of turns and junctions and the
river gained a Mississippian-like width of 300 to 500 feet. Being forced tight to one side as a
windbreak made it hard to tick off vocal birds from the far shoreline. This area could easily be
part of a territory for a pair or two with several square miles of decent forest with a labyrinth of
creeks. Birds would have to cross channels and the river to make a decent living and sooner or
later they would be seen or heard in this area if indeed present. Canopy tree height varied from
70-90 feet of mixed deciduous species. A pair of Pileateds slowly flapped, high across the river,
1/8 of a mile ahead in rather deliberate strokes of no more than 4 flaps/second. A minute later
one crossed back with the same odd, slow pace. Prior Pileateds had seemed a bit more rushed.
Perhaps there was some sort of display value to this slow flapping.
41

A few houses started to appear with the distant din of Route 20 traffic. The habitat narrowed
between an upland ridge to the east where a major road coursed and pine plantations a further
mile to the west from where the riparian bottomland ended. There was a habitat funnel here that
connected the WMA with the large East River Island habitat block. A mile N of 20 there was a
large holly tree patch with 90’ trees and numerous Robins, Carolina Wrens and a few Pileateds.
It wasn’t a bad stake out location for the perhaps mainly, frugivorous Ivory-billed so I lingered in
a large eddy. As I approached Rt. 20 the northern tip of East River Island beckoned but a quick
glance at any map will certainly show that this impressive area deserves a week or more itself just
to proclaim a visit but not a biological survey. The river was of Herculean width here so it was
time to pull over on the ramp and plan the last hours of the journey, one that I was not willing to
end yet.
While sitting there an authoritarian but friendly and well connected local approached; we
exchanged thoughts about the river, my adventure and the Ivory-billed with each asking questions
of escalating interest. He explained that he was up and down the river for many years but never
even thought of looking at the Pileateds since it was told in books that the Ivory-billed was
extinct for many years. I conceded his point with a “join the club” and then pressed ahead with
my double knock epic and questions about what trusted locals had seen and said about the
supposed King of the Woodpeckers being in the area. Three locals had assured him that there
were two types of Log Birds on the river and they and the birds had been hanging around for
many years. He believed them and I him.
After a call my car was delivered and now knowing each other for more than 30 minutes he
intimated that there was an area of winding creeks and tall forest on the river that perhaps I
should see. The Choctawhatchee had been part of his life and there seemed a slight
disappointment that individuals not known to him had found the big bird. His knowledge of the
42

area was innate and he was proud of the river and I could do nothing to counter his opinion as I
freely related he was lucky to be near such a fantastic, gem of a place.
He drew a map in the fine, dry river sand and after loading up the canoe the trailhead was found;
there as promised was a majestic mixture of forested wetlands and a maze of creek beds. There
were healthy patches of pine and mature patches of oak, tupelo and hickory, some 100 feet tall.
It was a beautiful, peaceful and impressive place; Pileateds sounded off near a towering but
lonely Bald Cypress. I sat in a position purposely fixing it in the landscape hoping that a long lost
bird like the one heard double rapping the day before would appear for a repeat performance.
The sun dipped below the lower half of the trees and a calm, satisfied feeling was pervasive
during the final long, dusky walk through the protective wood. I had hoped to learn a bit more
about the southern bottomlands and especially the Ivory-billed and it had happened.
An area containing winding streams and impressive deciduous trees was hiked.
43

The canoe was left on top for a few days in subconscious anticipation of another trip.
44

Observations, Results, Discussion and Conclusions:
Methods: 156 consecutive hours (6 ½ days) were spent in the field on the Choctawhatchee River
noting the ecology of the area and observing birds; 60 linear miles were covered. Several pages
of field notes, many maps and over 160 pictures were taken while in the field. All woodpeckers
and most other species of birds seen or heard were counted.
Various parameters were noted inclusive of tree heights which were estimated with a tree shadow
angle chart and protractor. One to a few measurements were taken per day and bank height was
estimated by sight and subtracted from the tree heights as needed. Several square feet of loose
bark was removed from a few dead trees with the fauna recorded. Diameter and breast height of
trees (DBH, dbh) were measured with a small tape measure. Rough estimates of trees per acre
were made by standing in one spot and counting trees in an assumed 210’ by 210’ (~acre)
average plot. All physical estimates of distance, height or concentration of trees should be treated
as such when expedient methods were used.
Observations made during this trip were combined with a literature review to make specific to
broad and hypothetical discussions on rivers and Ivory-billed ecology.
General Habitat along the Choctawhatchee River: The Choctawhatchee is a relatively
pristine, improving riparian bottomland where one can canoe for ~ 70 miles through a contiguous
and varied secondary growth forest community while passing under only two bridges and by just
a few clusters of houses.
The riparian forest is a ribbon of assumed acceptable (for IBWOs) habitat stretching from 4
miles N of Route 90 to ~20 miles SW of the Route 20 bridge. This main corridor is 1 to 4 miles
wide with an average width of ~2 miles. The areas “buffering” the riparian corridor consist of
pine forests, planted pine stands, deciduous forests, agricultural fields and a few scattered small
towns. A minority of the buffering acreage around the core WMA is preserved.
The great majority of the forest trees north of Rt. 20 had a DBH of less than 24”. Most stretches
of forest were dominated by trees of 18” DBH. However if one was to measure only the canopy
trees the DBH would of course increase. There were pockets of habitat, some quite expansive
that had many larger trees, where the average DBH could have been > 24”. Forest succession
should cause some substantial thinning of the dense forest soon as topping is occurring; mortality
rate shall increase over the decades and subsequently standing dead wood. This assumes logging
rotation time is increased.
Past severe flood events have made it difficult through basic economic considerations and
assumed planning or insurance regulations to build permanent structures in/near the riparian
corridor. New construction seemed minimal in this rural and sparsely occupied part of Florida.
Major employers in the area were a prison and lumbering interests.
Major logging events seemed to have occurred ~60 to 120 years ago along the river. No areas of
pristine, old growth, virgin forest were noted although East River Island viewed from a short
distance was impressive. There were however scores of superior stands north of East River
Island. Common trees were Water Hickory (Carya aquatica), Sweetgum (Liquidambar
styraciflua), Water Tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), Red Maple
(Acer rubrum), Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata), Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii) with
Spruce Pine (Pinus glabra) found in varying densities throughout.
45

Four areas that possessed slightly to moderately superior qualities to the rest of the corridor in
relation to avian activity, remoteness, dbh and/or tree height were noted during this trip. Not
included in these areas is East River Island which could meet the habitat needs of the Ivory-billed
according to reviews of the aerials. The width of habitat on each side of the river, including
upland borders of mainly pine belonging to Nokuse Preserve and other private and public lands,
can vary from 100 yards to ~ 8 miles wide. The Holmes Creek branch provides a thin arm of
habitat stretching to the NE from the main branch and central section of the river. This creek may
provide part of a discontinuous forested corridor that connects the subject river basin with the
expansive habitat of the Apalachicola/Chipola River watersheds to the east.
I will not go into detail here of each area deemed worthy of further searching but serious readers
can contact me via email as needed. Where Holmes Creek meets the Choctawhatchee is
wilderness-like with mainly medium to larger Taxodium in the large flat areas bordered by some
average deciduous forest interspersed with a few taller stands. Where Morrison Springs outflow
stream meets the river there is a maturing cypress stand that may be more than a square mile in
size.
South of these areas and ~ 1 mile north of Route 20 was encountered the highest concentration of
mixed bird species in a feeding aggregation on the river. On the east side is a stand of large trees
inclusive of many holly trees that had a high density of woodpeckers, robins, wrens and other
frugivorous species. This 1/4 mile long stand would probably be visited by IBWOs if indeed
there are several pairs of IBWOs in the river corridor rather than just a pair. This stand may not
have much forest buffer to the east before a road is reached and other unknown anthropogenic
disturbances. South of this stand the main riparian corridor narrows to about one mile wide; it
may funnel birds that are moving along the river corridor. Well to the north another holly stand
more remote than this stand but not as mature was mapped.
Other areas of potential ecological significance are in some respects better that the Holmes Creek
area. Interesting was the subjective impression that the area of the 12/8 double knock occurred in
some of the best habitat in the corridor in relation to tree height and diversity. An estimate of 10
square miles of acceptable and slightly to moderately superior habitat to most of the corridor
habitat was found to be contiguous with the double knock location.
Other impressive pockets of superior habitat encompassing a few or many square miles were
noted but this trip was inadequate to assess more than a relatively thin transect along the river.
Precautions When Visiting the River: There are no improvements on the river except for
several boat ramps. The forest provides ample camping locations with substantial dead wood on
the ground in most areas of the WMA at times when the river is down. Fires must be closely
attended since dry leaves can easily catch fire. Permits are required to camp on WMA property.
It seems that private holdings in the area are not well-marked, so visitors should be careful to
avoid trespassing. The river course has many turns and has some nominal hazards during average
flow.
There are 5 clusters of a few houses each as you travel downriver. There are days when no
person will be seen. Wildlife is common but wary as the area has been hunted but perhaps not
heavily during most seasons for decades. However certain short deer seasons bring increased
visitation and gunshots. Know your seasons and bring some orange; in general deer hunting is
over by February. Turkey season must come a few months after.
46

During higher water levels this river, one of the largest in Florida can be dangerous with many
submerged trees and sweeping currents. The water is deep and opaque with winter water being
quite cold. Capsizing at this time can lead to the loss of the canoe and all or some of your gear
possibly leaving you stranded for a day or more fighting the cold. Always carry a lighter and/or
waterproof matches on your body. You will on average be a few miles from any other people,
houses, boat ramps or roads. Passerbys on boats are not necessarily frequent or even daily and
cell phone service is spotty. Rescue is not minutes or hours away if any serious problem occurs.
Canoeing the river solo is not recommended since simple falls or small accidents where nominal
assistance from a companion could solve the problem instead are magnified.
Forest Ecology: The river has a biodiverse, varied mixture of tree communities with successive
associations dominated or co-dominated by one or more different species. The next adjacent area
often had a slightly to moderately different community. Pines stands were interspersed in a
mosaic pattern; there were scattered single pines in the deciduous areas. Moving upland and/or
away from the corridor Pinus sps. and density became more prevalent.
Forest patches seemed to have been periodically clear cut logged from ~100 years ago in the East
River Island area to 60-100 years ago in the river sections above Route 20. A few small areas
have been logged recently.
Many naturally damaged, large but scattered Bald Cypress and other species of trees, 200 years +,
were not taken out during these logging events. The damage was probably present at the time of
logging and the trees deemed not worthy of harvest. Some large trees may have been left for
natural seeding considerations.
After logging the immature trees present were no longer topped and some shade intolerant species
matured into today’s forest. In only one or two short sections along the river were planted pine
stands encountered/noticed. Planted pine stands increased a mile or more from the rivers edge, as
one moved east or west. The forest certainly has a lower concentration of large diameter trees
than the Singer Tract had however several square miles of forest had some impressive scattered
stands. Regardless of tree diameters Ivory-billeds had been found to spend significant time in
individual, live trees that are comparable to what is now found in the Choctawhatchee.
Differentiating between Ivory-billed preferences and actual Ivory-billed needs has never been
satisfactorily examined because of the limited studies on the species.
Gauging a habitat’s suitability to Ivory-billeds with a high ranking given to diameter at breast
height (DBH, dbh) seems to be greatly simplifying the ecological needs of the species. If we
elevate the Singer Tract to some basic example of what Ivory-billed habitat should possess as far
as dbh, we need to examine why most of the pairs studied by Tanner et al. left the area before the
forest was substantially logged. The birds may have located more suitable habitat further away
from Singer. If true this indicates that Singer for some reason was not the optimal habitat even
though it was ~100,000 acres and more importantly there was some area(s) that the birds may
have found satisfactory outside the tract. Tanner (1942) reported that the natural history of the
tract included substantial fires in 1917 and 1924 after which Ivory-billeds were soon reported as
more numerous.
He also noted that utilization shifted within the tract in relation to a concentration of dead trees
caused by a cyclone. Birds foraged in the area for a few years post cyclone and then utilization
dropped.
47

Birds may have been leaving the tract as standing dead wood was decreasing and other areas of
LA, AR, MS, etc., may have had secondary forests with larger standing dead wood resources
because of a variety of stochastic events. These resources could have been located by the
dispersing, vagile birds which then had no survival driven need to return to the Singer Tract.
The nomadic, resource location mechanism may explain how Ivory-billed discovered the Singer
Tract which was nothing more than secondary forest in the late 19 th century. In 1940 the tract had
an abundant community of shade intolerant species such as Sweet Gum (Liquidamba styraciflua).
This indicates that the tract had been logged in the prior century and at one time few if any Ivorybilleds
were probably there; the maturing forest was colonized perhaps in the late 19 th or early
20 th century. The natural history of the Singer Tract indicates, as do many less robust literature
accounts, that the species moved in an out of areas more in relation to abundant food resources
and localized tree mortality rather than just a large, average/mean dbh of the forest.
Riparian corridors and the forests in them reach their greatest productivity and biodiversity when
flow hydrology and flooding regimes are not anthropogenically impaired. The Choctawhatchee
is one of those now rare, free flowing watersheds that rejuvenates the seasonal floodplain with
sediment and allochthonous deposition and therefore over hundreds of years physiological soil
conditions have nurtured a diverse forest community. Natural flood cycles raise the subsurface
vadose zone and shape plant communities by favoring obligate and facultative wetland species.
Moist soil conditions and streams in turn impede fire penetration into a forest’s interior allowing
a more diverse, angiosperm dominated, late successional forest to develop and prosper. Frequent
fires destroy or slow top soil formation and limit floral and faunal diversity by favoring pines
which prefer bare, low organic soil to germinate while most angiosperms root better in richer
topsoils.
The canopy exceeded 110% in many areas (overlap) and the understory was shaded. An open
gallery forest is developing with a shade tolerant lower level where Sabal Palm was a common
understory plant. Already large parts of the ecosystem are easily hiked through. Some areas of
evenly aged canopy forest were beginning to have many smaller or relatively younger trees
topped causing increased tree mortality. Standing dead wood was thought to be average.
However natural forest topping and thinning is beginning and dead wood and standing snag
density could increase rapidly over the next 10 to 30 years.
Eventually a maturing forest should reach stasis in relation to the annual input of dead wood due
to natural tree mortality balanced by the decay rate which removes dead wood. Today’s forests
are rarely left out of rotation to reach this late successional level since taxes, maintenance costs
and the desire for profits are omnipresent. Some catastrophic events are met with timber
extraction prior to insect and fungal damage, taking standing dead wood out of the system. In
general this disaster harvest must take place within 12 months of tree mortality which means
many dead trees are not harvested after substantial disasters. Recent hurricanes (2005) in the
South may have provided good foraging for some hypothetical populations of Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers for the next few years.
Modern managed forests, with quick rotations and removal of dead trees may need frequent
catastrophic events to impact them or adjacent forested open space to be supportive of an Ivorybilled
pair’s requirements. Relying on unusual and natural stochastic events is not a prudent
management technique in regards to this species especially when the rest of the forest is not
allowed to reach successional stasis.
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Recognizing the value of letting dead snags remain, an increase in the logging rotation cycle,
increasing the standing dead wood and uneven age management of forests would assist in the
recovery of this species.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foraging Ecology: The forest seemed ideal in angiosperm species
diversity with scattered Pinus sp. Ivory-billeds’ historic foraging has concentrated on hardwoods
and pines and perhaps especially and if available, on pine stands which have suffered a
catastrophic event such as a hurricane or fire.
The SE pine forest evolved with natural fires and upland areas can have a frequent burn
frequency while riparian areas may not experience a fire for several decades. Pines have various
adaptations to survive burning although mortality for younger trees can be high and even larger
trees perish in severe/crown fires. Damaged trees may be attacked by insects increasing the
mortality rate. Hurricanes may disproportionally impact interior upland areas of slightly higher
elevation via blowdown where pines may be prevalent rather than areas that are protected slightly
by lowland relief, where deciduous trees are dominate and wind strength reduced.
In a normally functioning, pre fire-control ecosystem, pine stands usually have a higher density of
dead wood than deciduous riparian areas. Numerous authors have called the Ivory-billed a
disaster species based on direct observations of its foraging in large stands of pine trees killed by
stochastic or more periodic events. Ridgway 1898, Tanner 1942, Stoddard 1969 and Jackson
noted that burned pinelands, especially when adjacent to swamps can be heavily utilized.
These areas can have densely populated beetle communities consisting of wood eating Scolytids
and Cerambycids to predaceous Elaterids (author in prep.). Coleopterans provide a high energy
food resource for Ivory-billeds. In some areas, especially pinelands adjacent to swamps, Ivorybilleds
made extensive use of recently burned areas for foraging.
Bent saw them working from on the ground to high in trees. Allen stated that “We never saw the
Louisiana birds on the ground but there was plenty of evidence, both in Florida and Louisiana,
that a bird will continue scaling the bark from recently killed trees for the beetle larvae beneath,
clear to the base of the tree, until the tree stands absolutely naked with the bark piled around its
base.”
The ecotone between a pine and a mixed deciduous forest or between many forest types and an
area with a high density of standing, recently dead trees may be a high utilization area for Ivorybilleds.
Subjectively the Choctawhatchee seemed very rich in various ecotonal bands. These
ecotones should provide a microhabitat relatively rich in a variety of foods. The Ivory-billed is
an omnivore and therefore a variety of foods are probably preferred; de facto, certain ecotones
should possess a variety of pertinent food resources and may receive disproportionate visitation.
Jackson reports that Tanner (1941 and ‘42) found the Singer Tract birds in Louisiana to
frequently forage in Sweetgum (43% of 101 observations) and Nuttall’s oak (27% of
observations). These species made up 31% of the trees in the forest >30 cm dbh, but 69% of
foraging observations. Overall, about 87% of foraging in Louisiana was on trees >30 cm diameter
(Tanner, 1941).
The Choctawhatchee’s similar deciduous tree composition to Singer but greater availability of
Pinus sps stands for foraging may allow any ivory-bills to forage in whatever community type
affords the greatest energy return per time unit spent foraging.
49

In Cuba, Lamb (1957) found Ivory-billed Woodpeckers divided their foraging efforts about
equally between pines and hardwoods. Upon review of many references on Ivory-billeds’
foraging and food items one notices the many different fruits, nuts and seeds and types and sizes
of beetle grubs that was or may have been taken. Additional insects mentioned as probable prey
items are ants, termites, bees and sawflies.
In the basin, standing dead trees, many of them several years old, had much of their bark still
intact. Large foraging holes of any species of woodpeckers were not numerous. Woodpeckers
were still found to be common but perhaps not numerous. Woodpeckers still represented a large
percentage of the birds seen in the field. The Picidae biomass as a percent of total avian biomass
may be similar to the % found in areas that have even higher absolute numbers of woodpeckers.
This could indicate that the Choctawhatchee has not reached its potential carrying capacity for
this taxon and as the forest matures numbers may increase, including any putative Ivory-billed
population.
The subjective observation that intact dead bark was high may indicate that food acquisition is
presently not a limiting factor on the Picidae populations of the larger species. There was an
abundance of loose, standing bark with a surprising minority of it missing from the mostly, long
ago dead trees. During the trip ~ 6 square feet of fairly loose bark was examined yielding 5
Brown Anoles, one 30mm centipede, one Carabid ground beetle and one 10mm spider. Most of
the bark pieces were replaced. Perhaps predation, the availability of nesting holes and other
factors are limiting the Picidae population in the rivershed.
In two separate areas, 1/2 a mile apart, unusual scaling of bark on recently dead trees was
observed and photographed. This was the only evidence that was located on the 60 mile
“transect” that was likely Ivory-billed scaling according to literature descriptions on the subject.
A string of ~ 80' tall planted pine trees that had died in the last few years had extensive bark
scaling, some from base to crown. I couldn't locate any similar trees like this for close inspection
for the remainder of the trip. However planted pine stands that reached to the rivers edge were
only encountered in the subject 1/2 mile long area. Unfortunately the steep bank, littered with
trunks, negated closer investigation with my eyes, caliper or camera.
This minimal but still perhaps important data indicates that putative Ivory-billeds may be
foraging in pine stands with some dead trees, these stands being more common in the higher
elevations of the Choctawhatchee watershed which were not closely examined on this trip. The
500,000 acre Elgin Air Force, 50,000 acre Nokuse Preserve and the 800,000 acre
Apalachicola/Chipola watershed have large blocks of potential Ivory-billed habitat and indeed
some reliable, one and two observer modern reports have come from these areas. Near Elgin Air
Force Base, Florida in 1966, birders Bedford P. Brown Jr. and Jeffrey R. Sanders heard then saw
a pair of Ivory-billeds scaling beetle-killed pines for 16 minutes (Dennis, 1979).
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Nesting Ecology: Ivory-billeds have nested in a variety of trees but
some older, historic observations were certainly made in more uniformly aged and mature forests
or ecosystems than exist now. Since many species of trees were utilized as nests and roosts we
can assume that actual physical characteristics of an acceptable tree and perhaps its proximity to
food resources for anticipated nestlings are more determinate than simply species of tree.
The Choctawhatchee has a high diversity of tree species with community complexity and
acceptable dbh at least for foraging. The average dbh does not compare to the impressive Singer
Tract measurements in large portions of the basin. However the emphasis on a Singer-like dbh is
perhaps overrated as being a determinate variable of acceptable foraging areas for Ivory-billeds
50

ut it is probably true that a certain number and density of high dbh trees is needed for successful
nesting and to support a population increase of a deme.
Since an Ivory-billed pair would only need a few acceptable roost/nest holes it is not
inconceivable that a second growth forest with a modest number of trees with adequate diameters
for nesting roosts could still foster a nesting pair. Localities such as the Okefenokee Swamp did
not have virgin bottomland forests but still had nesting Ivory-billeds so a precedent exists for
today’s perceived situation. Even in forests of low to moderate dbh the population may be able to
reach replacement numbers since at least one or two successfully fledging events for these longlived
birds is probable in their lifetime.
When certain general avian habitat requirements, nesting demographics and juvenile mortality
factors are interpreted in the context of the limited literature on Ivory-billed nesting failures and
ecology a case may be made that nesting site selection is extremely important to this species
survival.
In this river system the tallest and oldest trees with the greatest dbh and hole density were found
to be Bald Cypress. During the previous logging cycles a small portion of the cypress trees were
determined to be economically undesirable because of rotten cores or large linear interior
cavities; they were left untouched or some were topped above the damage. These trees, some
now surely over 250 years old are scattered in the corridor with some concentrations. The trees
are still living, as Taxodium is very insect resistant; many have a high density of cavities. These
older trees may be where individuals are nesting and roosting.
Bald Cypress stands were found to be “conveniently” located for Ivory-billeds if they are indeed
a prerequisite, necessity or ecological preference to fulfill some major or minor taxon
requirement. Several stands were found along the Choctawhatchee; one or more stands should be
reachable for any hypothetical pair via a short flight. Regardless of actual static need, Taxodium
stands may have been a preferred nesting/roosting area for some past individuals/populations and
perhaps some present hypothetical individuals/populations.
Taxodium is often found in flooded or periodically flooded areas. Trees are sometimes in
standing water which would restrict access to a roost or nest since pertinent mammalian tetrapods
like raccoons, possums, squirrels, etc. cannot easily visit these moated trees.
Cypress is a long lived tree, tending to survive lightning strikes, the accumulation of suitable
roosting or nesting holes, etc., comparatively better than angiosperms which possess marginal rot
resistance and no Cypressene. Trees without chemical resistance will have holes expanded by a
variety of insects and animals. These enlarged holes may no longer be suitable to Ivory-billeds
since many species of birds construct and/or occupy holes that reach and do not exceed a certain
width maxima for predator exclusion.
In addition the weakened hardwoods die comparatively sooner than a similarly sized cypress even
one with a much higher concentration of potential roost holes. Exceptions to this general
statement are Black and Water Tupelo which can be important to cavity dependant species since
their branches tend to break off when young and they can survive many years with decaying
heartwood.
Regardless of species, a tree that has multiple suitable holes may be preferred by cavity nesting
birds since foraging predators will have to inspect numerous openings before finding susceptible
adults, immatures, nestlings or eggs. If a tree has an abundant maze of holes a predator may miss
51

visiting the pertinent one or may abandon searching more holes in a particular tree if is has not
been rewarded with any caloric return after visiting multiple openings.
For example the selection of a nest hole high up in a tree, that has twenty holes below it, may
provide some inherent protection since a predator may stop its assumed upward foraging for any
one of a multiple of reasons. Taxodium distichum was found to be the oldest and largest species
of tree in the river and therefore it is likely, for the above reasons that it would receive
nesting/roosting preference. Other variables in nest selection may also be important and may
result in a pair choosing an angiosperm for nesting. There were some very large but scattered
groves of oaks, gums and maples in the bottomland basin.
Other complex relations may also exist in predator prey dynamics and avivore community
makeup in riparian areas and it’s buffers. Barred Owls were found to be abundant along the river
while no Great Horned Owls were heard or seen. Great Horned Owls increase and Barred Owls
decrease as one moves into the upland buffers with farm fields and clear cut patches that border
the corridor. The Great Horned Owl is a formidable nocturnal predator, more so than the Barred.
Either species may be able to enter Ivory-billed roosts/nest or take immature birds however an
encounter with a Great Horned Owl may result in mortality or serious injury at a much higher
frequency than results from a Barred Owl encounter. Avoiding or lessening the chances of a
crepuscular or nocturnal encounter with one of the most deadly predators of the SE may be an
important variable influencing roost/nest selection.
Meeting the tenets of the Competitive Exclusion Principle these large species of owls have a
different niche. The great density of Barred Owls may keep Great Horned Owls directly or
indirectly out of one of the present Barred strongholds, the cypress stands and dense lowland
forests of the Choctawhatchee. The cypress stands visited along the river were surrounded by a
contiguous forest with some understory. Great Horneds, although versatile in their needs prefer
to hunt in open areas adjacent to wooded areas. This microhabitat does not exist along the forest
that is proximal to the river. Great Horneds are in some respects a nocturnal ecological homolog
to Red-tailed Hawks which were also found to be rare in relation to Red-shouldered Hawks on the
river.
For all these reasons substantial Bald Cypress stands may be the safest and preferential nesting
area of some individual Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. In 1939, Bent stated “I observed in Florida
that although nesting in cypress swamp they did most of their feeding along its borders on
recently killed young pines that were infested with beetle larvae. They even get down on the
ground like flickers to feed among palmetto roots on a recent burn.”
An interesting avenue for exploration by those contemplating inputs into a nesting model is the
overlap of a few physical and ecological characteristics of bottomlands that could influence
Ivory-billed utilization patterns. At the extent of the seasonal floodplain in a forested ecosystem
there is often a floral community change; an ecotone. Fires will be more prevalent in these higher
elevation forests resulting in dead wood being found not far from the intact bottomland forest.
This ecotone may also be the rough dividing line that segregates the outward perimeter of the
Barred Owl and Great Horned Owls territories. Many taxa spend a disproportionate amount of
their time in the core of their respective territories. The ecotone band and area near it may have a
lowered concentration of owls. Other diurnal predators may also show a similar pattern of
distribution near this type of ecotone.
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The area adjacent to this ecotonal band may provide a microhabitat that if recognized by some
behavioral mechanism possessed by Ivory-billeds will provide them with an area of good
foraging and lowered predation pressure. Anecdotal evidence that these bands are used exists in
the literature but not necessarily for the reasons postulated here.
Some of the characteristics of cypress that enhance its nesting potential decrease its value as a
foraging microhabitat. The wood being resistant to rot results in a low mortality rate and
decreased standing dead wood to support larval coleopterans at least in young stands that are now
prevalent in the SE forests.
Hardwood or pine dominated forests tend to produce higher densities of snags and dying trees
than a pure, relatively young stand of cypress. Some pine and mixed pine/hardwood forests
particularly are susceptible to large beetle outbreaks, providing abundant forage.
There are minimal historical references about relative spacing of nests within a population but
there is plenty in tree species selection when a single nest is involved. The nesting data, N = ~
60?, is mainly from a data set of: one nest found here in e.g. 1899 and one nest there in e.g. 1906.
There is minimal data on the next nearest contemporaneous nest. Allen and Kellogg (1933)
indicated that there were ~ 3 nests in a relatively small area of one to a few square miles and
Tanner, later, I believe has data that also connotes that grouping of nests occurred at times in the
Singer Tract.
This indicates that at least in some situations, there is not a wide inter-pair spacing of the nests
when one could expect that to occur for a species that needed 6.25 to 10+ square miles per pair.
To have such spatial proximity of nests there is some advantage probably in one or more limiting
or ecological factors such as predator detection or in access to concentrated, heterogeneously
distributed food resources. Indeed there were some dense food resources in the Singer Tract after
two forest fires and at least one cyclone had produced a concentration of standing dead wood. A
contributing or primary factor to having a grouping of nests could be the demographics of the
predatory community and the detection of predators.
Intertwined to predator detection is the possibility of loose clumping of nests as a response to a
non-random distribution of potentially lethal avivores. During this trip to the Choctawhatchee
some quantitative data that showed a heterogeneous winter distribution of Red-shouldered Hawks
was gathered. As mentioned Barred Owls are also quite numerous along the river while Great
Horned Owls are rare to absent. The literature gives some clues that these species could be very,
very important to the ecology of IBWO and especially important in hatchling or juvenile
mortality rates.
Having intraspecific clumping of nests may allow warning calls/knocks from one pair to be heard
by another pair allowing the entire local nesting population to gain an advantage in early predator
detection. If the adjacent pairs are kin the advantage to warning these individuals is then not
altruism but an actual act of protecting shared genes. This is an added evolutionary driver for this
social nesting system. IBWOs would not be unique in nesting proximal to its brother/father and
in having predator specific warning calls (as in at least Psittacidae; Buteonidae, Corvidae).
The Choctawhatchee seems to have the highest encounters/field time unit ratio of all the various
search areas. The sightings and audio seem to be from a small 2 square mile area. There may be
a skewed concentration of birds there due to the presence of a nesting cluster, a movement
corridor to a nesting area and/or a concentrated feeding resource. Indeed their was a stochastic
53

event, a tornado, whose resultant damage may have attracted the birds to that area. But likely the
area also has good nesting potential thereby a small nest cluster cannot yet be ruled out.
It is safe to assume that AU is recording exact temporal vector data as birds are heard and viewed.
This could eventually lead to the discovery of a preferred roosting area or nesting area.
The fact that some discovered nests have been at least loosely associated with other nests leads
researchers to realize that disturbing one nest may directly or indirectly effect an unseen nest or
two in that same immediate area. It’s bothersome to speak with such fatality or gradations of
possible impact but since we do not know this species inbreeding coefficient or susceptibility to
increased homozygosity, every bird, is potentially important against decreased viability. This is
true even if the entire SE US population is very optimistically 50-75 strong.
Every bird at this point must be assumed to be a potential stalwart against a stochastic event or
more mundane but just as lethal genetically based and non-random events.
Throughout this work nothing is said specifically about modern hunters and loss of access;
hunters should be reasonably accommodated and be welcomed as bird conservationists through
this tremendous event that they have had a consequential part in through open space preservation.
However if and when an area is found to be a nesting cluster/area there must also be some
mutually agreed conservation precautions that all can live with an especially in the reach of the
word live is literally the birds.
If the number of disjunct populations is found to be, for example, < than 5 than any nest
congregation will or should be carefully managed for temporally selective, limited use that may
be slightly different than the surrounding multiple use of hundreds of thousands of acres.
Regardless there should be no effect in absolute acres hunted if proper considerations are
extended to the hunting community as they should be. In fact it is a sure thing that the hunting
community will be rewarded with increased acreage for hunting if the two communities, hunting
and conservation, become allies in the process of preserving open space.
Birders, photographers and researchers whose collective numbers can be numbing should be
formally kept from critical temporal disturbance of the birds. So far we have not seen an eco-elite
subculture of scientists, conservationists, researchers, searchers, recovery teams, video and audio
techs, each with their best friend form a buddy line producing endless incursions into a nesting or
foraging area. The tolerance of perhaps the last few individuals to repeated visits by even those
with the greatest knowledge of ecology dressed in camo is not known.
Predator Community Composition: Ivory-billed nest hole selection may be influenced by
multi-variate factors with forest characteristics beyond DBH, canopy height, immediate tree
community composition and standing dead wood concentration also important.
The best habitat stretches with the highest concentration of large trees, roosting holes, nesting
holes, standing dead wood, and food availability also seemed to have the highest density of
Barred Owls, Red-shouldered Hawks and perhaps other arboreal predators. Since Ivory-billeds
nest a bit earlier than other Picidaes, late winter/early spring predator demographics should be
important to nest roost selection.
Altricial hatchlings are susceptible to predation near the nest site and fledgling Ivory-billeds seem
to require some parental care, probably staying with at least one of their parents for a few to
several months or more. Because of inexperience, young birds of many species repeatedly have a
54

lower survival rate during their first year than when older (Krementz et al. 1987, Loery et al.
1987). Therefore relative density of predators in a forest ecosystem, that will affect naive
mortality of post fledgling birds, should be an important factor in adult woodpeckers’ nest hole
selection. Proximal to the nest, juvenile birds will make their first uneasy flights and perhaps
linger for extended time periods over the first few months of their lives.
A report of a fledged male Ivory-billed seen several times for a few weeks in 2006 relates the bird
was unaccompanied by any adult and appeared to have trouble flying at least when first seen
(confidential conversation of viewer with author).
If predator density in either a uniformly aged, maturing woods like the Choctawhatchee or in a
more complex forest is not homogenous for any reason than the selection of nest sites may be
skewed to areas within that large contiguous forest with lower predator density. When searching
for or selecting acceptable nest holes there may be a prerequisite ranking by perhaps the female to
take into consideration relative predator concentrations. The ranking of parameters may be done
instinctively and/or through learned behavior. One of the most important limiting factors to avian
populations is juvenile mortality.
The Choctawhatchee has a maturing, succeeding forest that suffered devastating logging events, ~
60-120 years ago, and some large predators may also be increasing from low numbers. Predator
population dynamics and demographics, with re-colonizing predator pairs and progeny slowly
expanding in a linear shaped ecosystem could be an important factor in spatial distribution of the
nests of a large woodpecker species. This may be especially true for species such as the Ivorybilled
that has been reported to breed every other year and portray low nest disturbance tolerance.
Spatial forest utilization may also change according to the specific woodpecker family unit
involved in foraging. Adults accompanied by an immature bird may purposely avoid nodes with
the highest concentration of predators while a single, experienced foraging adult or pair may be
more likely to visit optimal feeding areas regardless of Falconiformes or Strigiformes (raptor),
concentrations. For a very rare woodpecker species in maturing habitat with no intraspecific
competition there may be many unoccupied territories allowing a recently colonizing, nomadic or
dispersing pair(s) to choose the optimal territory according to a myriad of ecological and
population biology parameters which they instinctively and/or through learned behavior perceive
as being decisive.
In 1933 three nests found by J. J. Kuhn in the Singer Tract and observed by Allen, Kellogg and
Kuhn to have failed, more than likely after egg hatching, led the authors to speculate on the
conservation of the species. Although one nest was home to several species of pernicious mites
they postulated the young may have died from either poor sex cycling, inbreeding effects or from
nest predation. They provided no direct evidence for any of these ideas and the inference that the
eggs hatched was circumstantial evidence against the most common manifestations of poor sex
cycling (infertile eggs).
They did however say “If predators are important, we would have to explain an apparent
discrimination in favor of the Pileated Woodpeckers which nest practically side by side with the
Ivorybills but which are apparently much more successful in rearing young. In this connection
there is apparently one real difference in the nesting of the two species: the size of' the nest hole,
which is over an inch greater in diameter in the case of the Ivorybill. This might admit certain
enemies such as raccoons, opossums, and Horned and Barred Owls that cannot enter the smaller
hole of the Pileated Woodpeckers.” Modern scientists responsible with this species location and
55

ecovery should and surely are considering the words of those that saw more Ivory-billeds than
they may ever.
A tangent to predator prey relations is the drop in hypothesized predators of the Ivory-billed
during the time that the Southern woods were logged. Although the species certainly suffered
substantial population losses its predators did also. Hawks were routinely shot and killed in the
tens of thousands; habitat was destroyed throughout North America. It’s arguable that juvenile
mortality from predators dropped at a very crucial point in the Ivory-billed Caip’s struggle against
extinction.
A seldom discussed characteristic of potential and present Ivory-billed habitat is human activity
corridors and seclusion from these visitors. It’s possible that one of the most important
characteristics of an Ivory-billed refugia is minimal disturbance from erratic anthropogenic noise,
light pollution, minimal absolute number of anthropogenic disturbances, short duration of human
visits and the relative innocuous nature of activities associated with these visits. Humans are
perceived as, and have been predators of this species, for hundreds or perhaps more years. “This
is perhaps not so conspicuous when viewed from the side, but even so it is remarkable how ducklike
the bird can appear as it flies swiftly and directly up a lagoon, so much so in fact that certain
Louisiana hunters have told me that they have even shot at them under such circumstances,
mistaking them for ducks.” (Bent, 1939). (Note hunting is only mentioned here to show that the
birds have been exposed to some accidental hunting in the past and today’s hunter is more highly
trained and aware of being careful at what they shoot than ever).
A corollary may be consideration of an established, vagile, increasing or recolonizing avivore
community inclusive of an examination of species composition and biomass of predators in
recovering forested watersheds. Paramatizing predator levels inclusive of a ranking of specific
possible deleterious effects of these limiting biotic actors may be important in a predictive model
that attempts to better understand what microhabitats Ivory-billeds now prefer. Models may shed
knowledge on why they are in these areas that may seem suboptimal to adjacent areas where the
forest may be more Singer-like. Being Singer-like alone in floral and abiotic characteristics may
be simplifying a question that should include consideration of the possibly pertinent, predaceous
avifauna along with seclusion from frequent human visitation during nesting.
The majority of the ~7 pairs at Singer left before the forest was cut down. For us to revel in the
Singer Tract’s utopia without contemplating why its Ivory-billeds were gradually leaving would
fail to recognize this interesting ecological anachronism. The Singer Tract was likely not having
the ecological input of newly dead trees as the fires of ~ 10 and 15 years had not occurred since.
Other hypotheticals include the forest was being saturated with predators fleeing the elimination
of adjacent forests and/or was experiencing increased anthropomorphic disturbance in the 1930s.
This led to the emigration of this population to another suitable area(s). These same factors
effecting zoogeographic distribution of Ivory-billeds in relation to predators may remain in
certain habitats.
Birds Found on the River: The avifauna was plentiful with ~ 1,200 individuals (304
woodpeckers) of 57 species recorded. The number of individuals does not include American
Robins, or vultures which were numerous. The most well represented families were Emberizidae
(sparrows and allies) and Picidae (woodpeckers).
For each mile hiked or canoed 5.1 woodpeckers and .8 Pileated Woodpeckers were found. These
numbers underestimate the actual number of woodpeckers since accepted formal survey
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techniques are known to under count populations even when more than one survey of the same
area is done. In addition the breeding season for most or all species is obviously not in December
and many species are silent or less vocal at his time of year. Woodpeckers were found to not be
overly vocal on this trip.
The informal survey was done in a continuous fashion with birds counted throughout the entire
day. Field technique most closely resembled combining a Christmas Birding Count with birding
a line transect where all birds were recorded as one moved steadily along the transect. The CBC
circle in this case being a 60 mile long corridor; the river being the transect line. The survey was
not performed in any exact time controlled or strictly consistent fashion.
All heard woodpeckers were recorded on either side of the “transect” for an assumed 150 yards;
200 yards for Pileateds. Therefore an area 300 yards by 60 miles long was surveyed for most
Picidae and 400 yard wide for Pileated whose call carries further. The density estimate during
this trip was 49 Pileateds in 13.8 square miles of habitat or 3.6 Pileateds per square mile.
The river corridor was found to be an important wintering refuge for Great Blue Heron, Wood
Duck, Killdeer, American Woodcock, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker, Belted Kingfisher, kinglets, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Eastern Phoebe, Blueheaded
Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler and White-throated Sparrow and other uncommon and
common species.
The corridor was found to be important to possibly resident Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck,
Killdeer, American Woodcock, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Flicker, Belted Kingfisher,
Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-throated Warbler and other uncommon and common species.
The corridor was found to be important to resident Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Ivorybilled
Woodpecker (putative) and other species of woodpeckers.
Other notable sightings were an accidental Northern Saw-whet Owl which was heard after a
record cold snap had reached the panhandle, 2 Pied-billed Grebes, an American Bittern, 2 Redheaded
Woodpeckers, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers and a Yellow-throated Warbler.
Notable for their ability to voice, very infrequently, an Ivory-billed Woodpecker kent, were 9
Blue Jays, the majority which were found near houses and/or pines. None were found in the
presumed AU study area which may have been passed. Surprisingly there was not a single
nuthatch on the entire trip.
The Choctawhatchee River is an important riparian corridor that stretches for ~ 100 miles from
the Gulf of Mexico across the panhandle of Florida and into Alabama. Regardless of any putative
Ivory-billed Woodpecker presence this river is important for millions of short distance and
Neotropical migrant birds each year. It is an intact ecosystem where invertebrates and plant food
resources can be found at a critical time for especially trans-gulf migrants that may be exhausted
or in need of nourishment to continue migration.
The corridor is an avian highway that supports the safe movement and refueling of many North
American birds; any of us that have birded for any length of time have surely seen some birds that
have traveled up the Choctawhatchee River. This river and those like it in and near the “Big
Bend” area of Florida are of continental and hemispheric importance to our birds.
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Pileated Woodpecker Observations: Pileated Woodpeckers were common; 49 were recorded.
Seven Pileateds were viewed with 5 identified as such with naked eye before being binned. The
other two were not seen well with the naked eye and were noticed just as peripheral movement as
they flew and called. They were identified before binning by call but were not seen well until the
binoculars were used. The other 42 Pileated Woodpeckers were heard only. Some Pileateds
seemed to vocalize and/or flush away in response to my presence in their territory. They
subjectively acted like there was some reason to avoid a human. Their calls may have been
warning mates of a perceived predator’s presence.
While canoeing or hiking I would slow or stop for a short time after seeing or hearing a Pileated
for a photographic attempt but was only able to get ~ 15 pictures of one male Pileated
Woodpecker. No landing of the canoe or significant hiking towards Pileateds was attempted; if it
was more Pileateds should have been captured by the camera. As mentioned Pileateds did seem
to move away from the canoe. The one photographed was ambiguously responding to either a
Barred Owl call I did or my presence on a nearby stream.
Without heavily pursuing heard or seen Pileateds I was able to capture 2% (1 of 49) of them with
the camera. Seven Pileateds were seen which is 14% of those found. The percent of Pileateds
that were vocal was 44/49 or 90%.
Pileateds were viewed from the following approximate distances in yards: 60, 100, 100, 100,
150, 225 and 225 yards. Five of the seven Pileateds were identified without bins in ~ 1 to 3
seconds by flight characteristics, size, jis and on some the position of the white on the dorsal
and/or ventral surface of the wings. At no time during the almost subconscious routine of
identifying these birds were they ever thought to be anything other than Pileated Woodpeckers.
There is of course those scores of milliseconds after acquiring the bird that the cognitive, mental
ID process is proceeding and you have not eliminated crows, accipiters, buteos, ducks,
mergansers, Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, etc. An unobstructed view of a flying Pileated, in
anything but a caudal view, by an experienced viewer, even at a few to several hundred yards
with binoculars should usually result in this cognitive ID process successfully and accurately
ending in no more that 2 to 4 seconds. The longer time of 4 seconds being needed for distant
birds.
Naked eye views of flying birds can become progressively more difficult to conclusively claim an
ID if the subject is 150 yards away or more. Certainly some experienced observers can correctly
ID Pileateds at several hunded yards. The operative word here in the former sentence is claim an
ID; since this involves all types of standards that others put on others’ sightings. This is a subject
in itself and is beyond the scope here.
Obstructed, distant naked eye views such as seeing birds flying below and behind a treeline can
cause a flickering pattern which can make most distant, naked eye views unreliable. Binocular
views can greatly temper this effect and allow ID. Backlit views can also be deceptive and again
IDs can be challenged by reasonable people.
Identifying Ivory-billeds in flight may be an easier ID for most of us than IDing a Pileated. A
distant and/or poorly lit Pileated can have a jiz not unlike a crow; both have black bodies. A
Pileated has less white than an Ivory-billed increasing the chances of not seeing any white.
An Ivory-billed is predominantly described in the literature as having a more rapid, pintail or
merganser like flight in wing beat frequency and in lack of undulation. Pintails and all
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mergansers and many other species have light colored bodies, and it would be quite difficult for
an experienced birder to confuse any of these species with the dark-bodied Ivory-bill. Any
plumage seen or positional description of the white on the wings is a bonus towards ID. Indeed
some positional white on the wing must be seen if you are to distinguish between the two
woodpecker species.
Any perched PIWOs or IBWOs if seen for more than a second should be unmistakable at even
substantial distances again assuming an experienced observer or if an inexperienced viewer heavy
scrutiny should be applied to the field note description and all the subtle nuances in a description.
The very act of taking contemporaneous and copious field notes of any possible IBWO sighting is
indicative of a viewer probably being an experienced field observer. The absence of such notes
may signify that the observer did not see many of the field marks that would make a sighting
robust and/or is not experienced in the proper, useful and accepted manner to record a sighting of
this magnitude. Lack of contemporaneously produced notes relates that the observer may not
value critical and subtle observations that can shed light on the age of a bird, the sex of a bird,
health of a bird or the possible genetic viability of a population. Many individual birds
possessing relatively high inbreeding coefficients will show outer morphological abnormalities in
plumage as a manifestation of their decreased viability.
Recent reports of a yellowish parchment color in the wings of a bird seen in Arkansas and a
report of an adult with brown eyes in Florida (confidential conversation of viewer with author)
can signify possible genetic based problems. Regardless recording of everything seen in writing
is potentially important.
Day or year later notes weaken the written report since things not actually seen can trickle into a
later recounting of the sighting without any intent of elaboration. Notes produced after looking in
a field guide are also tainted regardless of experience because again elaboration can occur.
The lack of knowing or adhering to the long standing “tradition” of correctly taking serious field
notes in itself does not necessarily destroy the value of a sighting. The atmosphere and
confusement around the recent sightings and the position by sometimes the same people to
fervently preach the value of good field notes and in the next sentence demand that someone
besides themselves produce a diagnostic picture has decreased the perceived value of field notes.
The subject of changing standards and any actual or perceived inconsistencies of Rare Bird
Committees in judging submittals from past eras to the present or from accepting some first state
records with no pictures to now needing a video or a series of good stills of certain species is an
important topic. It should not be surprising that a narrowing of acceptance standards without the
clarification of the purpose of field notes will result in less field notes being produced for
mundane and important sightings.
Putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker Observations: A single, double knock of a large
woodpecker was clearly and unmistakably heard from an estimated 1/8 to 3/16 of a mile away in
heavily forested habitat (see pictures). The knock came in from an ~ 5 degree angle (measured)
above horizontal indicating it was produced from some noticeable height above grade from my
position. The topography in the direction of the knocks was later found to be level. The knock
was much heavier than anything a person could easily produce and came in at a raised angle
indicating an arboreal source.
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The second note was a mere echo of the first, perhaps one-half the volume, certainly coming
much less than a fifth of a second after the first knock had started. The first knock blended into
the second knock since the vibrations weren’t completely done from the first knock after the
second began. A unique quality of the knocks was the vibrations felt on my chest which was not
dissimilar to how a Ruffed Grouse’s drumming can sometimes be felt in your chest whether the
drumming is silent or not to your ears. These vibrations lasted only a second at most.
The bird was to the NNW and the wind was ~ 5-7 mph N but minimal on the forest floor. The
forest was extremely quiet or completely quiet at the time of the double knock. At the time of the
knock I was stationary. The estimated distance at the time was 1/8 to 3/16 of a mile away. If the
estimate of incoming angle and distance are correct the bird was ~ 75 feet above grade. At the
time field notes were written, wind effects were not considered. There were no other knocks,
hammering or foraging sounds of any kind noted before or after the knock. The forest was very
quiet, it being a late December morning.
No recording of a proven Ivory-billed Woodpecker’s double knock exists for comparison with
what I heard. Tanner described the double knock as a “hard, double rap, BAM-bam, the second
note sounding like an immediate echo of the first.” The spacing of the putative double knock
heard is consistent with this and other historical descriptions of the Ivory-billed’s double knock.
The AU team reported 99 putative double raps with the average delay from the start of the first
knock to the start of the second knock being 0.115 ± 0.003 seconds (n = 99). In 45% of their
putative double knocks, the first knock was louder than the second, as was the knocks of 12/8. A
louder first knock is not at all uncommon for Campephilus woodpeckers (Jackson 2002).
Of the 99 putative double knocks recorded by AU, 69 were recorded as isolated sounds. The
remaining 30 were recorded in ten bouts, wherein double knocks were repeated two to nine times.
The 12/8 double knock had the first knock louder than the second and there was a single knock
sequence and so can be considered an average putative Ivory-billed double knock according to
data gathered by AU.
The double knock does not fit any knock or part of a knock sequence that I have ever heard a
Pileated Woodpecker produce. I live in NJ, where Pileateds are common in portions of the state,
these forests having been frequently visited for many years.
Ivory-billeds have recently been suggested in the subject river system and many of the
descriptions and some of the recordings of the putative double knocks (N = 99) match my field
notes and recollection which were produced without prior careful reading of the double knock
description or listening to the recordings by Auburn U. authors. My tropical Campephilus
experience consists of ~ twenty trips to Mexico, Venezuela and Costa Rica where we recently
observed a pair of Pale-billed Woodpeckers do a long series of double knocks. Pileated have
been heard/observed in ~ 12 states and two countries.
The double knock of 12/8 sounded most like the knocks in Appendix 4 of the Auburn U. paper
found here: http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss3/art2/ .
During the entire trip including while stopping or driving through other states, woodpecker sign
in trees was looked for. On 12/7 a pine tree not far from the bank of the Choctawhatchee was
noticed to be substantially scaled even though seemingly dead for less than two years (see
pictures). This was thought to be quite unusual sign for a Pileated Woodpecker or another
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species of animal to have produced. About 12 minutes later (per camera log) after continuing
down stream for ~ ½ mile a partially logged pine tree stand along the river had several trees that
were recently dead yet substantially scaled (see pictures). This stretch which was discovered
prior to the double knock was within several miles of the subsequent double knock. Scaling like
this was not noticed in other parts of the forest visited and I have never seen anything like this
where the common eastern Picidae occur.
This unusual scaling has been documented many times in the literature to be done by Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers with the following as one of many examples: Allen stated that “We never saw the
Louisiana birds on the ground but there was plenty of evidence, both in Florida and Louisiana,
that a bird will continue scaling the bark from recently killed trees for the beetle larvae beneath,
clear to the base of the tree, until the tree stands absolutely naked with the bark piled around its
base.”
Along the river Blue Jays were heard several times and no kent-like calls were heard from them.
As mentioned, no nuthatches were found. Over 200 ducks taking off were witnessed, many from
close quarters to one another, in thick river vegetation. These were mostly Wood Ducks and
Mallards; no wing knocking was noted. About 10 deer were seen during the trip and snorts were
heard but nothing closely or distantly resembling the various Ivory-billed vocalizations was
noticed. No other animals were noted to produce any noise that could be mistaken for an Ivorybilled
kent or double knock.
On 12/8 assumed tree creaking was heard from where the double knock occurred. Days later the
AU tapes were reviewed and the short, drab eeeehhhh sounds of assumed tree creaking were
recalled to be very similar to some of the AU’s kent call recordings. At the time of the sounds it
was thought they could be an Ivory-billed or trees. The second creak caused me to think it was a
tree since it was weak and unlike the Singer kents. The sound came in at a raised angle meaning if
a bird it should be within a few hundred feet yet I located no bird. I also looked for trees that
were rubbing and found none but could have easily missed a bird (if any) or the rubbing trees (if
any).
In retrospect after listening to the AU recordings these tapes should have been studied prior to
this trip; the source of the creaking would have been more closely examined. No other creaks
like this were heard during the trip and there is no claim that these creaks were from a putative
Ivory-billed. It’s brought up here only to tell what actually happened and to warn other potential
searchers to listen to the putative AU kent audio.
The GPS readings for the subject double knock were given to Auburn University in early 2007
for their Ivory-billed population study on the Choctawhatchee River.
Manifestation of Wariness in Species and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker: In a habitat
ranking model or nesting model for IBWO could be considered seclusion from anthropogenic
disturbances. A seldom discussed characteristic of potential and present Ivory-billed habitat is
human activity corridors and seclusion from these visitors. It’s possible that one of the most
important characteristics of an Ivory-billed refugia is minimal disturbance from erratic
anthropogenic noise, light pollution, minimal absolute number of anthropogenic disturbances,
short duration of human visits and the relative innocuous nature of activities associated with these
visits. Humans are perceived as, and have been predators of this species, for hundreds or perhaps
more years.
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Mark Catesby (1731) noted in his classic, Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama
Islands that the species was hunted and the bills were considered a valuable commercial entity
worthy of trade between the southern Native Americans and the northern. Bent (1939) notes
“This is perhaps not so conspicuous when viewed from the side, but even so it is remarkable how
duck-like the bird can appear as it flies swiftly and directly up a lagoon, so much so in fact that
certain Louisiana hunters have told me that they have even shot at them under such
circumstances, mistaking them for ducks.”
There are also documented cases of roost/nest hole abandonment seemingly caused by simple,
human visitation. Recent difficulties in obtaining a clear picture after scores of encounters may
indicate that there are at least some, very wary individuals within the small population.
To hypothesize on the ethology at the population level of a very rare species, arguably extinct to
some, is fraught with the limitations of presumptions and accompanied by critics of varying
levels of animal behavior acumen. Regardless we should at the least consider what type of
avoidance behaviors might have been had by most if not all of the individuals that could have
survived through the 20 th century to the present. Any remnant populations’ ancestors survived a
time of massive deforestation, which did however leave some very small pockets of mature forest
and some larger areas of recovering, secondary forests. The habitat destruction was accompanied
by museum and private taxidermy collection and some level of accidental and purposeful hunting.
Was there commonality in certain traits and behaviors amongst the hundreds of individuals left in
the late 1800’s that were causal to these individuals being the last of their kind?
Assuming there are birds extant today are we to think the more wary or less wary have been left
for us to locate? Would birds of 1800 have a different range of flush distances and different
average flush distance than birds of 1900 and circa 2000?
Recent putative sightings have indicated that the few individuals encountered are extremely wary
with the scores of sightings not being conducive, despite serious attempts, to obtaining a clear
photograph/video. The species may still be wary after years of assumed minimal prosecution by
humans. Often formerly hunted populations of varied taxa will soon revert to more approachable
flush distances after persecution was halted. Ignoring one report of a shot Ivory-billed in Florida
in the 1950s (Miller, FFWCC circa 2000) and assuming human predation and accidental take has
been minimal why is the species still extremely wary and even more wary than some of the
literature purports?
Perhaps there is presently a genetic basis for the observed, wary behavior, which could take many
generations for random selection or random mutations to reverse assuming a process driver for
the selection of less wary individuals existed post persecution.
The original genetic change, in the then dwindling total population, could have occurred at
varying rates through various meta-populations and isolated populations during the intense
selection pressure that may have favored wary individuals over less discerning individuals. This
began with the arrival of Native Americans, accelerated with the arrival of Europeans and
certainly peaked in its effects on population wide, absolute gene frequencies from ~1850 to 1930.
During the latter half of this temporal period habitat destruction coupled with intense
hunting/collecting pressure pushed this species close to extinction. Heavy and persistent hunting
is not a stochastic selection pressure assuming there is some variability within a population’s
response to this activity. Hunting would not seem to be a random selection pressure on a species
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like the Ivory-billed whose pre 1900 literature portrays a range of behavior from “easily
collected” to “it stays out of gun range”.
An underlying genetic basis would explain why birds after 60 to 70 years of assumed minimal
persecution are still extremely wary. Other interpretations of the modern data certainly exist
including the species is becoming less wary hence the recent observations beginning with
Kulivan’s (1999) and leading to the Choctawhatchee observations (2005-6). Of course there has
been increased searching recently which led to most of the AR, LA and FL sightings which
tempers an assertion that they are becoming less wary.
The manifestation of complex behavior, such as excessive wariness in highly vagile animals like
birds, is especially likely to be governed by complex genetic-environmental interactions. For
every genotype, phenotypic trait, and environmental variable, a different norm of reaction can
exist; leading to myriad of possible responses from even one animal let alone a population.
Enormous potentiality can exist in the synergism between genetic and environmental factors in
determining traits. These norms of reaction can lead to the same individual or population being
approachable under some conditions, while with some disturbances, even if stochastic, a year
later resulting in individual(s) that react more warily to the same stimuli.
Norms of reaction are subject to natural selection pressures. Some genotypes will produce
superior behavioral responses under certain regimes of environmental variation than will other
genotypes, and the genotypes that increase an animal’s survivorship and number of offspring will
increase in frequency within a population. Behavioral evolution in small populations can be rapid
and we all agree that the species had a small population circa 1900.
The behavioral response of populations of several species that survived elevated levels of habitat
destruction combined with some hunting pressure has been to seek isolated sections of
ecosystems with succeeding generations being extremely wary. Some populations of many NA
mammals have indeed adapted from diurnal to either crepuscular or nocturnal activity cycles to
avoid interaction with humans in an attempt to decrease anthropogenic mortality. These changes
seem drastic compared with a diurnal bird species becoming exceedingly shy over a period of
decades yet they have occurred over and over again through many taxa. A diurnal bird cannot
revert to flying at night and hence other survival pathways such as increased wariness may
manifest themselves through norms of reaction.
The mechanism to becoming wary or exhibiting wariness can be innate or learned or a varying
combination of the two. Woodpeckers are considered relatively long-lived and intelligent birds
by some researchers. Perhaps it is important to increase the relative variable weighing in regards
to an isolated area within an ecosystem as far as its potential to attract and support an Ivory-billed
pair or population. DBH, floral community, standing dead wood density, fruit/berry
concentrations and coleopteran density and diversity while remaining important may need to be
reconfigured in a multi-variate roost/nest selection ranking model with isolation of habitat to
bipeds or limited, innocuous actions by them, at least as important in territorial and especially
nest selection of Ivory-billeds. This in no way means that there has to be any change in
recreational, open space acreage open to various outdoor activities such as hunting. Deer hunting
seasons in general ends before the nesting season for Ivory-billeds’ and hunters are important
facilitators of land preservation.
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Restricted access, seldomly visited, private land may be where this species has clung to existence
for many decades. The birds being seen today on public lands may be individuals dispersing
from areas that are “off limits” to almost every person but a few in the country.
Results/Conclusions: The Choctawhatchee River watershed was found to be a healthy,
secondary forest in a riparian watershed restricted to a narrow corridor of 1 to 4 miles. The
corridor with some unknown potential to support Ivory-billed Woodpeckers was ~70 miles long.
Five areas inclusive of East River Island seemed to have slightly to significantly better habitat in
relation to tree height, bird activity and seclusion compared to other stretches of the river.
During a 6 ½ day field trip to the river, 60 linear miles were covered and 1,200 individual birds of
57 species were recorded. The individual numbers of birds did not include American Robins or
soaring birds.
The river is situated in a strategic position for utilization by trans-gulf migrants and other birds.
The river provides a riparian corridor rich in food resources that assists many species of birds
during seasonally critical movements. The avifauna of the river seemed stable and the river is a
significant asset to all North American birders, conservationists and citizens.
The largest and oldest trees in the Choctawhatchee seemed to be Bald Cypress and it is possible
because of forest characteristics, cypress characteristics, hole density and habits of the Ivorybilled
that roosting and nesting may occur in this species. Some large angiosperm species were
also located and nesting could also occur in those species.
Ivory-billeds may be located in forested riparian areas that have some proximity to a
concentration of dead trees whose mortality was caused by fires, weather events or insect
outbreaks. Gauging potential habitat by exaggerating or over factoring the importance of the dbh
of a forest may lead to excluding potentially acceptable areas from proper surveying for this
species. Climax forests with their high dbh may have been a preferred foraging or nesting area
for the species at one time but in today’s modern forests with their short harvest regime, high dbh
forest types are very rare but forming.
Forests with a modest dbh if indeed they have a rich, concentrated food source nearby or
interstitially may be sufficient to support this species in low numbers or clusters. A high dbh
forest, although a preference may not be a prerequisite for an IBWO population to have survived
or still exist. The anachronism that the species optimal home range may have consisted of climax
deciduous forest satisfying some plant food needs and a devastated landscape of freshly destroyed
pine forest to satisfy coleopteran needs for at least hatchlings should be more thoroughly
explored.
Some climax forests may not compete in food resources such as density of beetles when
compared with a burned or weather event damaged, pine stand. Thus Picidae food resources,
although often a corollary of dbh may be more influenced in the 21 st century’s forests by the
occurrence of catastrophic forest events. When developing models of where IBWOs may be, the
absolute amount of standing dead wood and recently deceased tree density may be more
important in remnant habitat patches and corridors where high dbh forests are an exception rather
than a rule.
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It may be discovered that the minimum foraging area for a pair is closely related to standing dead
wood with a density modifier. In addition there may be a minimum need for an area to support
various flora that will provide high caloric fruits, nut and berries especially in the fall and winter.
As the age of a forest increases the standing dbh should increase allowing the pair to be
incrementally less dependant on concentrated areas of dead trees created during catastrophic
events. Regardless of the age of a forest there may always be a dependence on concentrated
larval beetle resources to meet energy consuming physiological processes like egg formation and
increased foraging requirements to satisfy hatchlings. Differentiating preference over needs may
also complicate the study of home ranges even if a population can be discovered. Seasonal
changes in home ranges, alluded to by some authors may further complicate solving the mystery
of exact needs.
In this river system the tallest and oldest trees with the greatest dbh and hole density were found
to be Bald Cypress. During the previous logging cycles a small portion of the cypress trees were
determined to be economically undesirable because of rotten cores or large linear interior
cavities; they were left untouched or some were topped above the damage. These trees, some
now surely over 250 years old are scattered in the corridor with some concentrations. The trees
are still living, as Taxodium is very insect resistant; many have a high density of cavities. These
older trees may be were individuals are nesting and roosting.
Bald Cypress stands were found to be “conveniently” located for Ivory-billeds if they are indeed
a prerequisite, necessity or ecological preference to fulfill some major or minor taxon
requirement. Several stands were found along the Choctawhatchee; one or more stands should be
reachable for any hypothetical pair via a short flight. Regardless of actual static need, Taxodium
stands may have been a preferred nesting/roosting area for some past individuals/populations and
perhaps some present hypothetical individuals/populations.
Selection of a roosting, nesting or family foraging area when cohorts are involved may be
influenced by predator density, community and demographics. The modern forests for several
reasons may not have reached a hypothetical carrying capacity of IBWOs. Predators may be
heavily utilizing the improving but shrinking acreage of SE US forests. These forests may also
be receiving increased visitation by wintering or migrating raptors as acceptable hunting areas
and migratory corridors that suit them decrease each year.
Researchers in the Singer Tract made an interesting observation that Pileateds were reproducing
much better than the Ivory-billeds in the same area. Our two large species of owls may not be
able to enter Pileated roost/nest holes while they can enter or perhaps partially enter Ivory-billed
roost/nest holes. Barred Owl and especially Great Horned Owl densities, demographics and
ecology may be very important topics to fully research in any recovery plan.
The Choctawhatchee was found to have some heterogeneous distribution of predators. Ivorybilleds
like many vagile birds in forested habitats may be exposed to very high naïve juvenile
mortality. Adults may have innate or learned behavioral mechanisms that result in their choosing
microhabitats that avoid high predator nodes. Since the available habitat is basically vacant of
Ivory-billeds there may be limited or no intraspecific competition for the territory with the lowest
density of Ivory-billed predators as perceived by a pair of Ivory-billeds. Hence any IBWO nest
location predicting models might have a ranked variable or set of variables that takes into
consideration the community of predators that exist in an area inclusive of the predators’ densities
and relative potential pertinence of the predator to IBWO ecological natality.
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The avifauna was plentiful with ~ 1,200 individuals (304 woodpeckers) of 57 species recorded.
The number of individuals does not include American Robins, or vultures which were numerous.
The most well represented families were Emberizidae (sparrows and allies) and Picidae
(woodpeckers).
While in the field 5.1 woodpeckers and .8 Pileated Woodpeckers were found per mile hiked or
canoed. These numbers underestimate the actual number of woodpeckers since accepted formal
survey techniques are known to underestimate populations even when more than one survey of
the same area is done. In addition the breeding season for most or all species is obviously not in
December and many species are silent or less vocal at his time of year. Woodpeckers were not
overly vocal on this trip which may be normal for December.
Pileated Woodpeckers were common; 49 were recorded. Seven Pileateds were viewed with 5
identified as such with naked eye before being binned. The other 42 Pileated Woodpeckers were
heard only. Some Pileateds seemed to vocalize and/or flush away in response to my presence in
their territory. They subjectively acted like there was some reason to avoid a human.
Without pursuing heard or seen Pileateds other then stopping for a short time I was able to
capture 2% of them with the camera. Seven Pileateds were seen which is 14% of those found.
The percent of Pileateds that were vocal was 44/49 or 90%.
Pileateds were viewed from ~ 60, 100, 100, 100, 150, 225 and 225 yards. Five of the seven
Pileateds were identified without bins in ~ 1 to 3 seconds by flight characteristics, size, jis and on
some the position of the white on the dorsal and /or ventral surface of the wings. At no time
during the almost subconscious routine of identifying these birds were they ever thought to be
anything other than Pileated Woodpeckers.
A single, double knock of a large woodpecker was clearly and unmistakably heard from an
estimated 1/8 to 3/16 of a mile away in appropriate habitat on 12/8/06 (see pictures). The knock
came in from an ~ 5 degree angle above horizontal indicating it was produced from some
noticeable height above grade from my position. The topography in the direction of the knocks
was later found to be level. The knock was much heavier than anything a person could easily
produce and came in at a raised angle, indicating an arboreal and avian source. The second note
was a mere echo of the first, perhaps one-half the volume, certainly coming much less than a fifth
of a second after the first knock had started.
On 12/7/06 several pine trees with very unusual scaling that fits the literature description of
Ivory-billed Woodpecker tree work was found and photographed. The trees were recently dead
and had substantial base to crown bark scaling.
No recording of the double knock occurred since no audio devices were brought with reason.
Therefore no evidence other than field notes exists for the double knock. Pictures of the scaled
trees and the trees’ continuing presence do exist. Regardless of any opinion on the evidence’s
relative weakness or strength this is the evidence collected. This report is augmented by my
original field notes.
Blue Jays were heard several times and no kent-like calls were heard from them. No nuthatches
were found. Over 200 ducks taking off produced no wing knocking sounds. About 10 deer were
seen during the trip and snorts were heard but nothing closely or distantly resembling the various
Ivory-billed vocalizations were heard. No other animals were noticed to produce any noise that
could be mistaken for an Ivory-billed kent or double knock.
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A habitat ranking model or nesting model should consider seclusion from disturbances. It’s
possible that one of the most important characteristics of an Ivory-billed refugia is minimal
disturbance from erratic anthropogenic noise, light pollution, minimal absolute number of
anthropogenic disturbances, short duration of human visits and the relative innocuous nature of
activities associated with these visits. Humans are perceived as, and have been predators of this
species, for hundreds or perhaps more years.
Restricted access, seldomly visited, private land may be where this species has clung to existence
for many decades. The birds being seen today on public lands may be individuals dispersing
from areas that are “off limits” to almost every person but a few in the country.
Mark Catesby (1731) noted that the species was hunted and the bills were considered a valuable
commercial entity worthy of trade between Native Americans. Bent (1939) notes “that certain
Louisiana hunters have told me that they have even shot at them under such circumstances,
mistaking them for ducks.”
DBH, floral community, standing dead wood density, fruit/berry concentrations and Coleopteran
density and diversity while remaining important may need to be reconfigured in a multi-variate
roost/nest selection ranking model with isolation of habitat to bipeds or limited, innocuous actions
by them, at least as important in territorial and especially nest selection of Ivory-billeds. This in
no way means that there has to be any change in recreational, open space acreage open to various
outdoor activities such as hunting. Deer hunting seasons in general ends before the nesting
season for Ivory-billeds’ and hunters are important facilitators of land preservation.
The behavioral response of populations of several species that survived elevated levels of habitat
destruction combined with some hunting pressure has been to seek isolated sections of
ecosystems with succeeding generations being extremely wary. A diurnal bird cannot revert to
flying at night and hence other survival pathways such as increased wariness may manifest
themselves through norms of reaction.
The mechanism to becoming wary or exhibiting wariness can be innate or learned or a varying
combination of the two. Woodpeckers are considered relatively long-lived and intelligent birds
by some researchers. Perhaps it is important to increase the relative variable weighing in regards
to an isolated area within an ecosystem as far as its potential to attract and support an Ivory-billed
pair or population.
Modern managed forests, with quick rotations and removal of dead trees may need frequent
catastrophic events to impact them or adjacent forested open space to be supportive of an Ivorybilled
pair’s requirements. Relying on unusual and natural stochastic events is not a prudent
management technique in regards to this species especially when the rest of the forest is not
allowed to reach successional stasis.
Recognizing the value of letting dead snags remain, an increase in the logging rotation cycle,
increasing the standing dead wood and uneven age management of forests would assist in the
recovery of this species.
The academic, research, birding, conservation and hunting community will hopefully be
considerate of the unknown but perhaps minimal tolerance this species has for repeated human
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disturbances to the only places the species may persist. There is the possibility that even one
innocuous visitation by a human being to a nest at a critical time can cause nest failure.
Acknowledgements: The trip may not have occurred without all the recent searchers and their
generous public reports that shared their thoughts and strategies. Their efforts have made it clear
that field time does produce sightings and/or vocalizations of this species.
Thanks to personal support from D. Magpiong, J. Casper, M. Casper, C. Dunne, E. DeVito, MV
and AV, A. Nappi and J. and P. Dubois and others.
Proper Citation of this Work: Virrazzi, F. A. 2007. Ivory-billed Woodpecker Trip Report,
Ecological Notes and Discussion, Choctawhatchee River, FL.
www.nationalbiodiversityparks.org
Reprint Information: nbp@comcast.net
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