Ivory-billed woodpecker
Campephilus principalis
The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) is a woodpecker native to the Southern United States and Cuba.
About the Ivory-billed woodpecker
The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) is a woodpecker native to the Southern United States and Cuba. Habitat destruction and hunting have reduced populations so severely that the last universally accepted sighting in the United States was in 1944, and the last universally accepted sighting in Cuba was in 1987. The ivory-bill was the largest woodpecker in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. Naturalist John James Audubon described it as the "Great chieftain of the woodpecker tribe". In adults, the bill is ivory in color, hence the species' common name, and the plumage is deep black and white, with a red crest in males. The bird was commonly found in bottomland hardwood forests, including dense swampland, and in temperate coniferous forests. Its diet consi
Fun Facts About Ivory-billed woodpecker
- In the 21st century, reported sightings and other evidence that the species persists in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida have been published, but the validity of these reports is disputed, with many sources arguing that it is likely extinct.
- Habitat destruction and hunting have reduced populations so severely that the last universally accepted sighting in the United States was in 1944, and the last universally accepted sighting in Cuba was in 1987.
- The status of the species has not been changed as of July 2026.
- The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) is a woodpecker native to the Southern United States and Cuba.
- The ivory-bill was the largest woodpecker in the United States, and one of the largest in the world.
Conservation Status
The Ivory-billed woodpecker is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This species is at significant risk of extinction and requires active conservation efforts.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | Piciformes |
| Genus | Campephilus |
| Species | Campephilus principalis |
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