FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Additional thoughts about visiting Ivory-billed habitat

["Craig Tufts" <TUFTS@xxxxxxx>]

I wanted to share this email I received via a colleague from someone who
participated in the Zeiss Ivory-billed WP search team in 2002. Some good
food for thought.
 
Craig Tufts
 
Looking for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers
 
Fri, 29 Apr 2005 
 
Everyone,
 
I wasn't going to wade into this, but I feel I must comment on the
many
posts that have appeared re the Arkansas Ivory-billed Woodpecker
promoting the idea that (1) the area should be closed; (2) don't let 
any birders in; (3) don't publish directions; (4) stay away; etc. etc.
 
In a nutshell, I feel such comments are generally quite silly.  The 
very subject of "controlled access" was raised and discussed while we
-- 
Zeiss Ivory-billed Woodpecker Search Team -- were searching for
Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers in 2002 in the Pearl River of Louisiana.  In fact, during 
our entire 30-day search there I'm not even sure if we encountered ONE
birder that was searching for the bird.  In contrast, however, we did
see many
hunters on a daily basis, and we never considered them to be a
problem.
The conclusion was that the subject was basically a non-issue.  The
reasons are many.
 
First of all, it is quite clear that 99% of birders that might arrive 
to search for any birds would probably, at most, spend perhaps a 1/2
day 
of searching and then quit.  If mosquitoes were active, this time
frame
might be reduced to but one or two hours. 
 
Secondly, where the birds are found (either Louisiana or Arkansas) are
vast tracts of bottomland forest that are extremely difficult to 
access. There are generally few roads and few trails (and often none). 
To 
access the area, you must expect to get very wet, or enter via a canoe
or 
other type of boat.  What percentage of arriving birders are willing to
do
this? 
 
Thirdly, so far 7000 man-hours have been spent looking for the
Arkansas
bird, and IN TOTAL there have been only 15 sightings.  If you do the
math, it means a birder would need to spend a MINIMUM of 55 days of
searching if one expects a sighting.  How many birders would be
willing
to put in this much effort, even without the guarantee of a sighting?
Fourth, even if the bird is seen in a particular area, it does NOT
mean
you simply go to that location and the bird will be waiting for you.  
 
By the time you get there, it is far more likely that the bird is now
2, 5
or 10 miles away.  So even if a significant number of birders somehow
reached the location -- after obtaining canoes, etc. -- it would not 
be a major impact.
 
Fifth, while people are promoting the idea that birders should "stay
away" all kinds of other outdoor enthusiasts continue to use the area 
(as they did BEFORE the bird was found).  This includes hunters,
fishermen,
kayakers, whatever.  Adding a few birders to this mix is not going to
have any effect whatsoever.
 
Van Remsen of LSU (Baton Rouge) was involved in these discussions, and

he agreed that birders searching for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was
not a
major issue.  As a leading authority on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker,
there is no doubt that he would suggest otherwise if he deemed it to 
be a real problem.
 
Now there is one potential situation that is indeed important to 
address. Should a NEST of Ivory-billed Woodpecker be found (or a
roosting 
hole), then a total closure of the immediate area would indeed be
necessary 
and indeed would be something that I would totally agree with.  But
even
then, I suspect the authorities in charge would devise a safe way in
which visitors could view the birds.  Perhaps via a high-powered
telescope at a distance.
 
Alan Wormington
Leamington, Ontario



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