5 Facts about the Ivory Woody Woodpecker bird that is officially extinct, sad

The Ivory-billed bird or the bird that inspired the popular children’s cartoon Woody Woodpecker is officially declared extinct. This was conveyed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
This iconic bird officially became extinct on September 29, 2021 and was officially removed by the FWS from the endangered species list.

“As of today (September 29, 2021), FWS has announced its position. The agency has proposed officially removing the Ivory-billed bird from the endangered species list and declaring the iconic woodpecker extinct,” wrote the official website of the bird conservation community in the United States. National Audubon Society and quoted by detikEdu, Saturday (22/1/2022).

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Previously, this ivory-billed woodpecker had been categorized as an endangered species since 1967. In fact, its numbers began to experience a drastic decline since the 1800s.

Ranging from being targeted by hunters as private collectors and hat-making materials, to cutting down the natural habitat of this species’ bird, John W. Fitzpatrick, Director of Ornithology at Cornell Labs points out.

The Ivory-billed bird was the inspiration for the birth of the popular Universal Studios cartoon, Woody Woodpecker. Evident in his cartoon series, Woody Woodpecker identifies himself as Campephilus principalis which incidentally is the Latin name of this woodpecker.

To commemorate the Ivory-billed bird, detikEdu summarizes a number of facts from its life from the Cornell Lab page.

5 Facts about Ivory-billed Birds, Woody Woodpecker’s Inspiration Bird
1. Habitat in trees
Ivory-billed birds generally inhabit large trees and forage on trees that have died from floods, fires, and other natural disasters. The biologist Jim Tanner made observations on this bird in 1930.

According to him, the Ivory-billed species mostly live in areas that are not touched by humans and include highlands to swamps. They are also called like to live in the sun.

“The ivory-billed bird is an inhabitant of treetops and sunlight; it lives in the sun, not in the shade (of trees),” Tanner said.

2. Make a different nest every year
The Ivory-billed’s favorite nesting sites are dead or decaying parts of the tree. Or under broken branches just to protect themselves from the rain. Generally, the nests are located between 15 and 70 feet (4.5-21.4 meters) above the ground.

They make their nests by digging tree holes up to 2 meters deep. Usually, this woodpecker also makes a different nest hole each year.

3. Extreme habits
This bird species has an extreme habit, as Tanner points out. They can often be seen flying fast in the air and then swooping sharply above the trees.

Ivory-billed flocks are also known to be adventurous as they are often seen flying from one treetop to another over great distances.

4. Social creatures
Ivory-billed birds are referred to as birds that like to socialize with their flocks. Because, according to Tanner’s observations, there are always at least 4 birds that are seen several times looking for food in the same tree.

They can also keep their partner all year round. It’s not uncommon for Ivory-billed couples to be seen ‘going out’ by touching each other’s beaks on a tree.

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5. Extinction
This bird has long been included in the red list published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Destruction of their habitat in 1880, making this species began to experience rarity.

Not to mention the existence of World Wars I and II, these events made most of the Ivory-billed bird’s natural habitat destroyed quickly. An extensive search conducted in 2006-2010 could not provide any evidence of life for this bird .

Wow, that’s really sad, detikers. Come on, let’s take care of the habitats of endangered animals around us, don’t let them become the next Ivory-billed bird.