| View Larger Image | The Grail Bird: The Rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker | Paperbackby Tim Gallagher (Author)
| List Price: | $14.95 | | Price: | $10.17 | | You Save: | $4.78 (32%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | | Page Count: | 304 Pages | | Publication Date: | April 18, 2006 | | Sales Rank: | 42,834nd |
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FEATURES | - ISBN13: 9780618709410
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
In April 2005, a startling announcement made national and international news: the ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird thought to be extinct for nearly sixty years, had been sighted. The story behind this incredible discovery began more than a year earlier when, after a lengthy search, Tim Gallagher was one of the first people to see this iconic bird, the holy grail of birdwatchers. He persuaded the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology to mount a massive search for evidence of the bird's existence. The news was kept secret while field teams went to work and land was bought to conserve the ivory-bill's habitat. Gallagher's story reads like a mystery novel, and the subsequent conservation efforts provide hope and a lesson for our times. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 31 reviews)
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Historic read for birders by M. Garland (Latrobe, Pa)  4 Stars
October 25, 2008
Recommended by Cornell Ornithology Lab, purchased along with Falcon Fever, both written by Tim Gallagher. Excellent background on historic topics, easy to read on cold, rainy day. Fast delivery, books in great condition!
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So, where are the birds? by game lover (Miami, FL USA)  3 Stars
September 04, 2008
Along with many nature lovers who are intrigued by rare and unusual species of wildlife, I was caught up in the ivorybill rediscovery craze of 2004. So this book, and others like it, added plenty of fuel to the fires of my curiosity and wonder at the idea of being able to actually see this incredible bird in the flesh, an incredible ghostlike apparition with its imposing size, gleaming yellow eyes, long dagger-like white bill, and large pointed crest, which was flaming red on the male, black on the female. Its body was jet black with large white wing patches and white racing stripes on its flanks. Sounds more like a fanciful emblem on a medieval coat of arms than a real, live bird. Yet this very creature once inhabited a considerable area of our southeastern region until quite recent times, when its primeval forest home was laid to waste by the brutal sting of the logging industry's axes and chainsaws. Unfortunately, there was no Endangered Species Act in those times that could have afforded it some protection. So, being a sensitive species with very strict ecological requirements, it vanished from all of its former haunts, and sadly, after several decades went by without any confirmed sightings, it was written off as extinct. Unconfirmed sightings continued to be occasionally reported, but were never backed up by hard evidence that could be universally agreed upon.
After all this, what would it be like to somehow have a do-over -- a second chance to actually see the bird? The author himself clearly shares this deep passion and, along with various people he has worked with and interviewed, feels certain that he has seen it. But if they are really out there, one has to wonder how it is possible that no one has yet managed to take a picture of one that would constitute irrefutable proof of the bird's existence. Does someone know something we don't, or were all these people just caught up in a wave of wishful thinking that ended up being a delusion?
Fellow naturalists, we are asked to believe that a population of these large, garishly colored birds was observed on a regular basis by the author and others for a period of at least one year but the whole thing was kept under wraps for the sake of the birds' protection. Unfortunately, not one photo was ever taken, however, and now the silence is absolutely deafening! I actually found myself wondering out loud for a while whether some federal agents might have swooped in and captured the remaining birds for a captive breeding program! (Heck, if that's what it would take to bring them back, I personally would not object.)
All of us would dearly love to believe that this spectacular denizen of our southern swamps has not really crossed over into the dark abyss of extinction and vanished forever, but perhaps we simply have to accept the fact that we made some mistakes by not preserving its habitat, and learn a few lessons from this when it comes to saving other imperiled species. Nevertheless, I could not be happier if somehow, this particular species actually did manage to beat the odds and survive, but I guess only time will tell...
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Keep The Hope Alive by dougtmk2020  5 Stars
April 02, 2008
I read this book back in November of 2006 and was fascinated from the first page. What could be more exciting than to be hot on the trail of something that the experts say no longer exists, armed with information that says it still does.
I'm reminded of the book "The Lost Grizzlies" by Rick Bass about the search to discover grizzly bears living in southern Colorado where they have been supposedly non-existent for years. A tuft of hair, a pile of scat but no pictures and no video.
I find the possibility of finding the Ivory Bill even more exciting than the search itself. Here's to the dreamers and hopefuls who keep the hunt alive. Whether searching for Ivory Bills in Arkansas, grizzlies in Colorado or bigfoot in the Bitteroot I applaud those undeterred spirits who fuel the fire of the search and help fill our shelves with stories of adventure and hope.
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The Grail Bird by David L. Eastman (Center Sandwich, NH) 5 Stars
October 16, 2007
This is such an enjoyable book. Gallagher paints the picture of all the players, even way back over time, that were involved in the Ivory-bill's research. More should know of these backgrounds and personalities. What has surprised me is how many prominent naturalists of considerable renown have seen the bird over this century, and then kept quiet about it. This is like saying you personally have seen an UFO and don't want to be scorned by your peers, and considered an outright nut. That revelation is what causes me to think this reclusive bird might just have survived in some numbers in these swamplands. Plus the swamp crackers remarking about the coloration and striking white patterns of the birds, and having their own colloquial descriptions of their experiences. They seem to know pileateds quite well and sense the contrast with any Ivory-bill they ever encountered. This is what makes this book exciting reading, and such a keeper. Anyone will get involved in this pursuit and Gallagher does a great job weaving the tale. Non-birders will be surprised that this genus extends down into South America, and a member or two can be observed there of this larger woodpeckers clan. This book is an education!
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Great Book! by J. Moretti (O.C.) 5 Stars
September 04, 2007
I just learned of the rediscovery of the ivory billed woodpecker from reading some back issues of WILDBIRD magazine. I immediately ordered this book and read it in two days....WOW what an exciting, riveting, fascinating, fun book this is...I love woodpeckers so I really hope this can be proven with a picture even though I am sure it exists already. On the website it says there are still no pictures to prove it and people are still searching. I hope they find it soon-What an amazing story!!!!
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