In October 2021, ornithologist Mark A. Michaels noticed an ivory-billed woodpecker in a Louisiana woodland, which started his interest in a species that had not been officially recognized since 1944. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) suggested that the ivory-billed woodpecker become extinct in September 2021, despite Michaels’ initial hypothesis. While Michaels is hopeful that conservation efforts would continue even if the woodpecker is declared extinct, the case highlights the difficulties in establishing the existence of species and the possible repercussions of making hasty extinction announcements.

The ivory-billed woodpecker case serves as a metaphor for the larger difficulty in accurately assessing the end of a species, since an early conclusion of extinction can lead to the removal of conservation efforts, which may ultimately lead to the species’ real extinction. A method for predicting the probability of extinction has been created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which combines thorough studies and assessments. Michaels emphasizes the challenge of obtaining solid evidence of the woodpeckers’ survival in the hopes that the USFWS will rule in favor of them. The case serves as a reminder of the thin line that must be drawn between safeguarding possibly endangered species and preventing needless harm from early extinction announcements.

Image Citation: https://phys.org/news/2022-09-dinosaurs-extinct-theories-survived.html#google_vignette

Reference: How do scientists decide a species has gone extinct?. The Scientist Magazine®. (n.d.). https://www.the-scientist.com/careers/how-do-scientists-decide-a-species-has-gone-extinct-70972