Search for the Rare Ivory Bill

I found this article enjoyable partially due to the information I learned about the bird but also due to the inspirational stories of the lengths people would go to protect this bird. I feel as if the story of the ivory billed woodpecker contrasts that of the passenger pigeon due to humans not directly causing the extinction of the woodpecker. I agree with Stephanie in that the woodpeckers extinction was in part caused by lack of knowledge. Unlike passenger pigeons, which flew in massive flocks, the ivory bill lived in secluded swamps and were rarely seen. As a result, the individuals who were logging these swamps had no idea that they were causing the destruction of a species. I noticed that the author uses powerful adjectives to describe the bird and I feel as if these help evoke almost a sense of guilt in that human behavior has destroyed something so powerful. I believe that if we can learn anything from the extinction of the ivory billed woodpecker, it is the importance of raising awareness for endangered species and advocating for their protection. While it may be too late for the woodpecker, many other species are still able to be saved.