This has been a hotly debated issue on a number of cyber forums and a
controversy that we should avoid. The biggest problem for everyone has been=
the lack of any definitive evidence that can be distributed to the birding=
and scientific community. The fact is that the bird(s) have been very seldo=
m
reported considering the man hours of searching that have been logged.
I know several of the people that have documented sightings and there is
absolutely no reason to question them any more than one would over any rare=
bird. This is a Campephilus woodpecker, not an Empid, and there are too man=
y
reliable sight reports from qualified observers now to dismiss this out of=
hand. We should encourage anyone willing to take this further - there has
been too little positive focus in the media on endangered species in the
past 20 years. Anyone who knows the nature of bird distribution and
nidiology knows that, even if the birds exist, they would face an extreme
uphill battle to survive in the long run. Good luck to anyone who dares to=
dream and, please, get some audio.
Scott Connop
|