Hi. This is my first post, I found this website on a search engine. On Easter Sunday there was a large bird resembling the Ivory Billed in my yard, down next to my pond. My daughter and I accidentally startled it and it flew away. I was amazed at what a large wingspan it had. It eventually came back and flew away again. Today I came across and article with a picture of the Ivory Billed and that bird resembled it completely.
Now, for some background on where we live. We live in East Texason seven acres of pasture land. We are surrounded by forest, some has been clear cut, most of the forest around us is used for deer lease. We are one of the last three houses on our road for about six miles. Basically, its a birding/wildlife paradise. This is all new to me, I had hung out two feeders for the wild birds, and enjoy watching them, but other than that I don't know a whole lot. I think tomorrow I will take a camera down to the swamp , and into the woods and see if I can spot it again. Had I known it was such a rarity I would have tried to have gotten a picture then. If anyone has any ideas on how or where to look, please contact me!! Thanks for your help!
Tervetuloa to Birdforum with such a meganews, Burningsupper!
Are You sure it was not Dryocopus pileatus with black secondaries? (That is a way more common). -Here was vigorous Campephilus discussion some months ago.
Burningsupper,
If you found an Ivory-billed woodpecker, DON'T tell anyone where you live. You'll be mobbed with folks wanting to know where to find it. It is believed to be extinct. If you do a site search here you'll find a rather long chain on this same subject.
You might also want to check a field guide or search on the Birdforum gallery or Google for a Pileated Woodpecker, another very large woodpecker, about 18" to 20" and is found in East Texas. I suspect that this would be what you saw.
Good luck with your photos and please post them here for confirmation.