Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Video SE Louisiana 2008

Evidence and Video Review of the SE Louisiana, Ivory-billed Woodpecker (2008)    

Fred Virrazzi, Zoologist

Abstract

Despite the publication of peer reviewed papers on the evidence of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, in the Pearl River basin in 2008 (video; multiple peer reviewed papers, M. Collins) the USFWS and others decided to dismiss this pertinent 2008 information without serious scientific inspection.

Here an independent examination of the subject video and papers' assertions was conducted while again asking the public for suggestions on what species was in the video. All mentioned confusing species were listed, discussed and considered including unusual species such as the Ringed Kingfisher (rare, extralimital). The ~ 400 pertinent frames of the video were examined with the intent to find the possible common to rare species in the video. The audio was reviewed, and the only species heard that could also be the subject of the video was the clear double knock of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker at :16 of the raw 8.mov file (see link to download). 

Many still frames and video sequences were extracted with video software, examined at reduced playback speeds, cropped, looped and zoomed. Some frames were slightly brightened or darkened to correctly determine plumage. In some frames the bird is marginally underexposed in the latter half of its entire appearance; the lighting conditions near the bird, are not over-exposed as most critics claimed. This claim if true, could cause the appearance of a white trailing half of wings, where there is not one. Many people espouse skeptical opinions but have done no examination of the raw video to determine actual plumage of the subject bird. 

Characteristics seen during the examination of the video and attributes per Collins' papers which passed verification within, were listed. A characteristics matrix was prepared that listed the physical attributes seen in the video with prominent field marks of the eight non-Ivory-billed species added to the table with no consideration on whether these characteristics were in the video or not. In other words the main attribute of, as an actual example, Belted Kingfisher were included in the matrix as one of the characteristics to look for in the video.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker had all 20 attributes seen in the video/papers while all other species averaged ~ 5 attributes with a maximum of 8 for two of the eight species. Because of the singular and more so the collective specificity of the attributes, the characteristics matrix completely eliminated all species as being in the 2008 video but an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. 

All the following contributed to the conclusion in addition to the matrix as they appeared consistently in the best frames and/or many frames: unique appearance of the bird compared to well-known species, long wing aspect ratio, obvious white in the entire trailing half of wings, black front of wings, unusual flight mechanics, W dorsal pattern in several frames, long neck, very rapid flight with high wing beat frequency, white mantle broken only by a gray body or some pattern (such as possible dorsal stripes) on a black body, swept back wings, ventral bird patterned like Ivory-billed, slight wing binding and more. Each frame and sequence were carefully looked at repeatedly; the only species indicated was Ivory-billed. In totality there were no frames or video sequences that indicated any other species than Ivory-billed Woodpecker. 

All possible species were considered. The varied evidence clearly indicates an Ivory-billed Woodpecker was videoed. At least one Ivory-billed Woodpecker was in the Pearl River basin (LA) in March, 2008.


 



Video above---    
    Doubled Sequence, repeated, from later portions of 2008p.mov where entire flight of bird is shown, speeds on videos may be slowed. Bird going 34 MPH = 49 ft/s. No Pileated every found going more than ~ 25 mph
                                        

Background


The USFWS has proposed the Ivory-billed Woodpecker for delisting due to extinction but did not review or seriously review the subject evidence from LA, 2008. This precipitated another but closer review of the 2008 peer reviewed evidence, which has had no formal, unbiased, public review or rebuttal. Specifically, the extensively prepared papers' abstracts and publicly available video and audio of the 2008 IBWO sighting has never been independently supported or debunked or partially debunked.

Here is one of Collins' papers: Collin paper

The Collins' papers do not fully examine the plumage of the bird but do extensively synthesize the wing beat Hz, flight speed, etc. An ornithologist, known for his world-leading research on avian flight dynamics inclusive of Picidae wing beat frequency, wing binding and flight speed determined this bird to be "confidently" a large woodpecker with a flap rate higher than anything ever recorded for a Pileated Woodpecker. He also found wing binding (wings momentarily tucked against the body on some wing cycles) in this bird that was less than Pileated Woodpecker's in duration, so that it was likely unnoticeable to the human eye. 

The Pileated Woodpecker's conspicuous wing binding in level flight is well known; this bird does not visually show any or that extent of wing binding. But as B. Tobalske, ornithologist known for his bird flight dynamics research, and any viewer watches the slowed video the wing binding is easily found left of the "perch tree" starting at 1 min 33.5 secs of your downloaded 2008p.mov by slowly advancing the frames (link to download below). Very few large, SE USA birds bind their wings, one being the Ivory-billed according to at least one Singer Tract photo and the subject video. The Ivory-billed's closest relative also shows wing-binding, see the only films of the Imperial Woodpecker (2010). 

   

Here the assertions on the above kinematics and characteristics with a comparative look at the bird's plumage.  














                                  





                          
























                             




                           




















Frame of video showing a fast flying bird with characteristics of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker flying towards two o'clock at ~ 135 degree sight line. This frame is soon after the 3 frame sketch below.  








Frame of video showing a fast flying bird with characteristics of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker flying towards two o'clock at ~ 135 degree sight line. This frame is soon after the 3 frame sketch; see below.  Adobe video software sharpened the image.








Picture of English Bayou Showing Dark Substrate , credit Collins



Dr. Lowery on short flights of the IBWO and the superior plumage view at that time






new













Three consecutive frames; also see video, at 1:39.499, 1:39.516 and 1:39.533 of 2008p.mov, showing consistency in plumage of black and white in wings and body despite 3 slightly different times and positions, see darker body with possible pattern, long neck, possible long light-colored bill, black base of tail and part of tail, and black tips of wings. All this indicates only one species. 




Added the gliding picture on the Singer Tract bird, note the subtle but important differances
in wing positions versus a bird in powered flight. The 2008 has some finer detaisl in it. 











This next frame was extracted from an Adobe sequence set with "optimal flow" averaging. It comes a fraction of a second after the 3 frames above. It shows kinematics and plumage consistency with those frames.  

 
Same frame without optimal flow and extracted with less skill on other settings. 


Three frames above, and others, shown in next two videos. 

 

































Ecology



Why was an Ivory-bill in the Pearl River in 2008?  The Pearl River basin was dotted with some of the largest logging camps in the world especially after the railroad reached the area circa 1855. The heavy logging continued into the early 20th century. Tanner (1942) declared the area completely cut over during his visits in the 1930s. Prior to the logging there were certainly Ivory-bills there. During the logging the human population expanded; they needed buildings and to eat : "They had venison and wild game in abundance." Some IBs may have been shot for target practice, out of curiosity or for food.


Since the Pearl basin was one of the earliest, heavily logged, and hunted areas in the subject states, Ivory-bills were effectively gone from the area by the 1930s.  Concomitantly the area was one of the first to regenerate mid seral forests that could support a few Ivory-bills by the late 20th century or earlier.

The river has had Ivory-bill sightings for decades; a lengthy, 10 minute, close sighting of a pair in 1999 by D. Kulivan, a turkey-hunter and LSU student, is considered by many as the genesis of the modern C. principalis era. This witness and his report were fully vetted by Louisianan ornithologists; it was said to be the most convincing Ivory-bill report in decades.

Pearl River Reports noted in the USFWS 2010 Recovery Plan (per C. Hunter) are as follows, with an NBP 2012 report added and others :

(E-2) Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish, LA (a male observed one year, a female the following year, both by N. Higginbotham); 1986, 1987 (Steinberg 2008) 1990-1999 (E-2) Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish, LA (a pair reported seen for 10 minutes by D. Kulivan while turkey hunting; extensive follow up searches in subsequent years unsuccessful); April 1999 (Jackson 2004) 2000- 

2002 Pearl River, LA - M. Collins in a Bird Forum post of 2/2/2006 said "A field biologist who works for NASA saw an ivorybill here in 2002. The birds were also seen or heard by others."

 (E-2) Pearl River WMA – Stennis Space Center, St. Tammany Parish, LA, Hancock County, MS (multiple sightings, several very poor but at least one suggestive video in 2006 of a large woodpecker, possibly lacking red in the crest; a more recent video of a woodpecker in flight in 2009 was determined to be a Red-headed woodpecker, a 2008 video is still undergoing review by M. Collins and others); 2000, 2005-2009 (USFWS 2007; Collins 2005-2009) Lower Mississippi Delta (#’s

2012 Pearl River WMA, English Bayou (same exact bayou where the 2008 video was taken). On November 24, 2012 Matthew Dell watched a large all black and white woodpecker (no red) with trailing white wing area, approach his position and land with a substantial sweep up on a Sycamore tree. The bird was "well within 50 feet at the closest point"; he saw the "head and neck" particularly well. Dell is (2022) a retired Chief Deputy US Marshal.

Adding to those sightings forwarded to USFWS personnel in two manners on 7/21/22 is the following text: In 2012 NBP received a report from F. Wiley that an Ivory-bill had been seen ~ 4.5 miles SW of the 2008 woodpecker video location, on the Old Pearl River. We interviewed the viewer on video (unpublished); he provided sketches and was very convincing that one Ivory-bill had passed through this wooded residential area on the west edge of the Pearl swamp forest twice in 2012. The bird was foraging but upon detection of the viewer took off.

 We headed east into the forest for over one mile in a cut, camped, searched and did acoustical point surveys in the area for two days and found the interior river forest subpar but very secluded; it was impenetrable due to deep mud in all directions. There were many cottonmouths in the few locations we penetrated more than 50 feet into the forest interior.  No detections or sign were had. The larger trees in the area were actually in the well treed residential tongue; dominant were oaks, pines and along water, cypress.  The bird may have been exploring the edges of the Pearl bottomland and found a few feeding trees while cutting through several residences, in its path, briefly that year.           

The location where the 2008 Ivory-billed was videoed is the widest section of the secluded basin (5 mile width there, less elsewhere). Collins is not an ecologist; he was unaware of National Biodiversity Parks's various Ivory-billed habitat occupancy models (NBP, unpublished). These models were, at the time, developed without any Pearl data but when applied to the Pearl basin it designated the IBWO, 2008 location in the top 5 % of square miles in the ecosystem for expected usage. All of the several different Ivory-bills that National Biodiversity Park's teams have located form an ecological pattern for occupancy. The basin has some input of dead wood due to storms, hurricanes and saltwater intrusion from risings sea levels. 

Video Details

The video was taken on 3/29/2008 with a Sony DCR-HC36 standard video camera, 60 FPS, deinterlaced. A high-definition video camera was rendered inoperable by high humidity that day. 

Below you will see various screen captures of frames, short video sequences and sketches. The original file viewed on your own PC will be more resolved than anything here (link below to video). Downloading, cropping, labeling, saving, copying and posting has a noticeable effect on resolution compared to the raw video. If possible, it's best to download the video, open with an app that can slow down the video and toggle to various frames featured here. 

The video displays relatively true color recognition at ground level; the bird may be slightly overexposed in key frames. The "white" branches are mainly within feet of the camera and ~ 120 feet minimum from the bird; they are "noise" and not fallen logs at ground level.

There are over exposed branches that are near the camera but any exaggeration of white at ground level is negligent or very slight. The bird's wings are substantially "whiter" than all ground level foliage and features. The white on wings is highly correlated to the trailing half (rear half) of wings in many frames (video good to examine frame by frame). All frames have been carefully examined; backgrounds and any artifacts as applicable, are not made part of the bird to aid in any biased identification; they are simply not integrated into the various sketches or as being on the bird. 

It was an overcast day, with no wind. Many of the closest frames unequivocally show white in the trailing wing.     

Yes, most of the frames are low resolution but quality does vary. There is plenty of evidence in the video of the subject's characteristics, morphology and kinematics. Nothing in the cormorant, heron, ibis, duck, shorebird or hawk families has even a few of the empirical characteristics or plumage details showing in the "flyunder" video.  

Many frames in the open viewscape of the left side of the perch tree (tree) were used to resolve the wing beat frequency, flight cycle, speed, wing amplitude, wing binding, and flight dynamics. Here, many frames on the right side of the tree are used to discuss, deduce and confirm the actual plumage. 

Throughout the video there is reflections (mirror image) of the bird on the surface of the water; this  has also provided information. Reflections are not shadows so will have an image of the subject bird. These provide some surprising evidence to the careful reviewer; some are presented here. Many frames are not showing much of the bird, but the initial frames were used to establish wing beat Hz by Collins and B. Tobalske. In several frames the entire dorsal surface of the wings and midbody are shown but resolution is poor. In dozens of frames parts of the white on the dorsal surface of the wings and midbody are shown. The position of the white in the wing, when seen, is constantly on the back half of the wing with no trailing black edge. 

Black in the dorsal wing is limited to only the front 1/3 to 1/2 of wing and the tips. 

The head and neck are only seen in a handful of frames. The possible bill may be viewable in at least three or four frames. 

Analysis (processing, averaging, etc.) could indicate the length of the neck/bill area even in this video further eliminating (again) many species by this alone. But the bill length is not needed since the careful analysis of all evidence and video shows the bird is an Ivory-billed. 


Directions of How to Review the Video with this Paper

1)   download data base (upper right hand corner) large zipfile and then open 2008p.mov file with the video  (it is 1 minute 47.974 seconds long ) :

Ivory-billed Woodpecker video

same link

Ivory-billed Woodpecker video https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.8w9ghx3hp

2) a bird double knocks ~ 16 secs into the 1:48 long movie (Ivory-bills double knock and double knocks are almost non- existent in the field unless an IBWO is involved in NBP's experience over many years in hundreds of square miles). 

3) These 4 sequences of ~ 4 frames each are very important to seeing the Ivory-billed. Look for these clips and stills below which are being uploaded here. Or see them yourself via direct download. 

After download you can extract the sequences, slow the speed, and crop, then save files or just play them on your screen.  Zoom may not be available on free apps already installed on your PC.  Without crop and or zoom it's hard to see the bird and its plumage. 


Brief Diagram of Some Key Sequences 
   

New Frames 




























sequence 1

1: 39   483 to 139  600      ~ 4 frames look for black wings, front half of wings, in frame 2 to 3 transition and see the 3 D effect at 10% or 15% speed. You will detect black and white wings and relative positions of colors (perfect for IBWO) and long wings and long neck, head and possible lighter bill.

All these features are there (the bill is possible). Best to toggle back on the frames or loop videos. 






















sequence 2


1:39  .183  to  1:39 .300     ~  4 frames - last visible frame will show multiple IB field marks but it poorly resolved. The correct patches of black on the leading edge of the wings before occlusion by a branch can be seen. Notice the unusual S turn of the bird in a fraction of a second before the subject frame. 






Soon after passing the perch tree the bird is reacquired heading towards 1 o'clock. In the video it can  be viewed under the center, forked, branch that is close to Collins, ~ 110 feet away.  As the bird passes the branch it is then viewed tip to tip. Suddenly it makes an ~ 45 degree turn to the right as it points its right wing way down in relation to the left as an aerodynamic brake to produce the desired turn. At this moment the bird is moving relatively slow as the angular velocity is suddenly centered on a vertical axis through the right wing. The right wing is moving much slower than the left. We get excellent evidence of the right wings leading black and trailing white "half wings" and long aspect ratio. We also see the dorsal stripes of an IBWO. And the left wing at the raised angle causing foreshortening, quite different than the right wing angle.    



















Soon after passing the perch tree the bird is reacquired heading towards 1 o'clock. In the video it can  be viewed under the center, forked, branch that is close to Collins, ~ 110 feet away.  As the bird passes the branch it is then viewed tip to tip. Suddenly it makes an ~ 45 degree turn to the right as it points its right wing way down in relation to the left as an aerodynamic brake to produce the desired turn. At this moment the bird is moving relatively slow as the angular velocity is suddenly centered on a vertical axis through the right wing. The right wing is moving much slower than the left. We get excellent evidence of the right wings leading black and trailing white "half wings" and long aspect ratio. We also see the dorsal stripes of an IBWO. And the left wing at the raised angle causing foreshortening, quite different than the right wing angle.    














sequence 3



1:39   967 to 140.083   ~ 4 frames black in wings visible ~ frame 3














sequence 4

1:39   583   to 139    716 





Frame 1:39.516, the same frame as the middle frame in 3 frame sketch above. This was an early version based on a poorly extracted frame, of lower quality than was eventually extracted. Regardless the Campephilus W pattern is plainly shown.  This shows the loss of details if you are not properly extracting this video.  

Frame 1:39.499, small image of bird in center dark, to the right of whitish-green branch, flying towards 2 o'clock 



Video of ~ 12 frames starting at ~ 1:39. Note the relative position of white and black, color of body, suggestion of a pattern on dorsal body, long neck, suggestion of light bill, unusual flight dynamics, swept back wings and more.  


4) Black in front half of wing --- Evidence of a black leading half of the wings is hard to observe since only the right side of the perch tree is the angle of sight advantageous to see that part of a flying bird. But even on the right side the angle of sight is ~ 140 degrees and far from being ideally right above (90 degrees). Also, the white in the leading edge of the white wing area is being "dragged" over the front half of the dark wing area due to typical directional motion blur masking part of the IBWO's black.  

The right side of the tree also has the dark background of the bayou mud assimilating the black; it's also an overcast day. Despite these impediments the black is seen in multiple consecutive frames in the short video sequences above and in frames on both sides of the tree. 

It is my assessment that the ground/bird is slightly overexposed and if possible, a slight darkening of the video can improve sequence 1, etc. from raw but that does not necessarily help resolve the black in the wing, just the opposite. Different parts of the wing at opposite end of the light spectrum, white vs. black, may require different video settings to deduce or see their actual "colors". The same sequence can be more accurately examined as far as true appearance, by comparing different video iterations. Any careful examination of this article with the raw download will lead to seeing this bird's wings match perfectly, considering quality, an Ivory-bill's dorsal wing pattern, shape and kinematics

Flight sequences rather than some stills are better to show the critical black in the leading half of the wings; the conspicuous white in wings is seen in frames or sequences. Wing color is also more noticeable in some sequences as the flying bird suddenly blocks the mottled lighter brown and dark green ground/mud/foliage background and then the moving solid black "patch" in the wings is more easily noticed in those frames. When you see the black in the wings in any video sequences you extract you are processing the video right (download, slow-mo and zoom). 

Also, in frames 2 to 4 only of best video sequence (seq 1) below you can see the bird is "off the ground" ~ 5 feet as you get a 3D effect. Thís occurs due to wing vs background differences being interpreted by the human eye, giving perspective and depth of field, in relation to the distance to the ground from the bird.  

When you get this sequence properly prepared and see that 3D effect and black wing batches, you have the speed, light contrast, sharpness, gamma, zoom and quality RIGHT. The desired sequence is represented here with several versions. The superior sequences in this article will mainly be in the beginning of the article.    


Three Consecutive Frames (Note dark substrate must not be confused with wing areas via observer bias), but white is mostly real except for minimal area caused by wing blur, note angle of middle bird trailing white edge shows upstroke occurring; and long tapered angle of wing, notice how white is fairly consistent in frames according to obvious kinematics, note in the middle frame the wing tip to wing tip whitish  "W" also seen in some frames of AR 2004 IBWO, and in some clear to blurry frames of some Campephilus but not in Pileateds. This "W" is a known field mark for some Campephilus species, certainly something to check, black leading edge is there but more easily seen in videos, see suggestion of white extending into neck in all frames, especially middle, note that if it's incorrectly suggested there is no, wider than perceived leading black area, we are confronted with explaining what large species has long, slim, all white wings like this except some Laridae, Ardeidae and Anatidae (gulls, herons, ducks); since it is not any of those it is very likely this bird has at least a bicolored wing, presently with some part of the leading half of wing chord not easily resolved when a dark substrate is involved (most likely unseen leading wing area is black, brown, or maybe dark green). add--Careful examination of videos now confirms substantial black in front half of wings in key frames of Seq 1. 

The 2004 Arkansas IBWO video should also be looked at to see similarities or inconsistencies between these two videos. Here is an enhanced AR video: 









Here is an Ivory-billed picture, blurred, with part of tail lost to roughly approxiamte conditions in the 2008 video



Evidence Review List of Plumage/Characteristics 

Wing Beat Frequency 

Flight Speed

Wing Binding 

Aspect Ratio 

Synchronous Molt 

Ventral Bird 

Dorsal Bird White Trailing Half of Wings

Dorsal Bird Black Leading Edge of Wing  

Dorsal Bird White"W" Pattern


An ~ 12 frame video sequence here, same frames as a video above but gamma increased. Note the obvious black in front half of moving wings, very little noticeable wing binding, and more. No frames show any "confusing species". See here: 



 Wing Beat Frequency   

The original papers' wing beat frequency was confirmed here by counting and timing wing beat frequency, frame by frame, using XXXXX software. The video was slowed to 10% speed for two "long" sequences visible in the first half of video on the left side of the perch tree. The bird has a wing beat frequency in level flight of ~ 8.5 Hz/s. 

The birds wing beat Hz and speed is much higher than any PIWO ever "found" (level flight).  Speed of bird was calculated to be ~ 34 mph. No PIWO examined by various authors, researchers or on any of the various large video collections shows the high wing beat Hz of this bird (or the Luneau 2004 AR IBWO, or Imperial Woodpecker 1956).  The sample size for the PIWO videos is N = 25. SD (standard deviations or range) of wing beat Hz has been found to be only a fraction (~10%) of the Hz in the Picidae and almost all species of birds. For example, PIWO is ~ 5/s and the range is 4.5/s to 5.5/s.




IBWO (Luneau 8.8) and IMWO (8.1) and other putative IBWO data is > 8.3 beats per second. A PIWO cannot likely physically flap this fast in sustained flight without causing muscle/joint injury or the maximum speed potential is reached prior to obtaining that rate.  

The bird in the video cannot be a PIWO from just this one characteristic alone. And since there's been numerous erroneous proclamations in the past that the bird is a normal to leucistic PIWO this eliminates all PIWO's since plumage variation/abnormalities in PIWO does not mysteriously increase wing beat Hz. 

Some of the original methods that skeptics escaped carefully examining, or even considering, wing beat Hz in basically level flight of the 2004 AR and 2008 LA video, are still to:

a) refuse to discuss the issue (ignoring scientific discussion does not mean extinction has occurred) 

b) refuse to resolve the rate by letting occasionally occluded views of two frames negate the ability to do simple extrapolation of the wing cycle (this was claimed by the 2005 skeptics constantly)  

c) say that "birds fly in different ways" (true, but level flight of hundreds of species shows a small standard deviation and PIWO does not overlap IBWO Hz in level flight)

d) birds are not IDed by flap rate (untrue most good trip leaders, field researchers, etc. use flap rate sometimes to gauge what species they are seeing, even at distances of up to a mile)   

If we look at plumage and other features, they also eliminate a PIWO of any plumage as being in the video. 


SD of wing beat Hz is low in birds. Here is only a very small number of species that have data. Many species have empirical data including PIWO and now IBWO, no overlap at all in these two. This video has a bird with a Hz of 8.4 

A new preprint paper has half a million wing rotations measured for various species; it again confirms  the small intraspecific standard deviations for wing beat frequencies of birds. The literature is clear on the small standard deviations of avian wing beat Hz across taxa including Picidae. 

 The role of wingbeat frequency and amplitude in flight power (biorxiv.org)


Small SD for Hz

This recent paper might contain more bird species than any single study in a field getting more and more attention.  Since aerodynamics has significant applications in design, transportation, aviation, space exploration, military, etc., this may explain the increasing research.

Wing Beat Study





    
For this 2008 video, the first half of the video (easier, more open canopied half) was used. Two people did the counting and timing. There are a few branches but the rotation per wing beat in degrees from prior visible frames made it possible to know where you are when a frame or two is occluded. Analyses of  1.5 seconds and ~ 1sec on left side of tree was done. Our results were very similar to Collins' published papers for Hz.


This is a very high wing beat frequency which can be expected if you look at any of the formulas. A bird this large with only a marginally greater wing surface area than a pileated yet much heavier and much faster, must have a higher wing beat Hz.

This bird agrees with the three other known wing beat frequencies for the two Northern Campephilus species. It's much higher than PIWO. This is 4 or 5 SD from PIWO. 3 SD covers 99.7% of measurements in randomly distributed data sets. Wing beats are not a normally distributed data set so the range of values is constrained via aerodynamics, physiology, etc. The SD should be smaller. 

The Hz was checked against the audio provided; no speed up of the video was detected. The species singing during the woodpecker's flight are exactly the same community of species singing in the prior 1:30. The avian species and songs agree with the late Match date. An insect is seen and heard on the video; good. This is done only as standard verification exasperated by a "skeptic" inferring that the video had been sped up. Obviously, there is enough understanding and trepidation about wing beat Hz implications by some skeptics; that is telling.  

Flight Speed  

Throughout the literature, from A for Audubon, on to much later letters in the alphabet, many observers have said the Ivory-billed flies directly and rapidly "much like a pintail duck". PIWO of course have been said to be, and are, much slower and with noticeable wing binding. The video bird's wing beat Hz and speed is much higher than any PIWO ever "found" (level flight). 

Speed of the bird was calculated to be ~ 34 mph (Collins). In this examination we estimated that via gross measurements that the bird is flying at ~ 33 mph,  this is an estimate however since we did not have exact distances from point to point. Regardless No PIWO examined by various authors, researchers or on any of the various large video collections shows the high wing beat Hz of this bird (or the Luneau 2004 AR IBWO, or Imperial Woodpecker, 1956) or speeds over 25 mph.  



 




Wing Binding 

The author confirmed the subject bird has wing binding on most strokes by examing the frames on the left side of the perch tree at 10% speed. The time of binding per cycle was less than Pileated Woodpeckers observed by the author.

"A decline in the ability to engage in intermittent bounds is apparent with increasing body mass among woodpeckers (Picidae; Tobalske, 1995). "

Wing binding was found for this bird by an expert in flight dynamics. As I went through the first half of the bird's appearance, the binding is observed but it is not as pronounced as what a PIWO would show (binding for at least 4 frames or .067 s). Binding is empirically less than Pileateds. Only 3 large species are known or now suspected to bring their wings in close to body (binding) during level flight. Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker and likely Ivory-billed Woodpeckers bind their wings. 

In Collins' papers the following pertinent finding may not be mentioned. "A decline in the ability to engage in intermittent bounds is apparent with increasing body mass among woodpeckers (Picidae; Tobalske, 1995). " This inverse mass to binding relationship also supports that the 2008 video depicts an Ivory-billed. IBWOs weigh ~ 75% more than a PIWO.




Here is a Pileated Woodpcker wing tip graph adjusted by the author to the scale of the IBWO in Collins insert above.  This is 0 to 400 ms 





"Aspect Ratio" 

The videoed bird has a very long and narrow wing that influences the aspect ratio. Both dorsal and ventral side of the bird's image show this despite the angle of view foreshortening the aspect ratio.

A simplified way of presenting the aspect ration is used here rather than the accepted definition. Here the wingspan is just divided by the average wing chord to derive the "aspect ratio". Raw data was gathered by measuring the respective bird components from various frames. Pileated aspect ratios were measured from pictures. Video frames will minimize the aspect ratio since foreshortening reduces the wingspan. Regardless the PIWO is expected to have a shorter ratio:  



 Video   (unadjusted for foreshortening)

5.0

5.3

5.4


IBWO from Singer Tract (negligible foreshortening) 

5.3


PIWO

4.0


3.9

4.0


The aspect ratio of a measured IBWO is 5.3 while the video measured average is at least 5.2.  The PIWO measured average is 4.0.

Thís alone eliminates several possible species, noteworthy the Pileated Woodpecker. The PIWO cannot be the bird in the video.  

The video bird was measured via subsequent field work with assistance from LDWS, others, to be 30" wingspan, while a Pileated Woodpecker is 29" and Belted Kingfisher mean ~ 22"  



 









Synchronous Molt         (NEW EVIDENCE 8/2/22)

In the second video sequence of this article, other sequences and frames in the original .mov file, a missing primary in each wing can be noticed at appropriate times during the flap cycle. While looping sequence video 2 (from start of article) a synchronous molt of Primary 1 can be studied as the bird flies on the right side of the perch tree.  

Upon examination of over 200 IBWO specimens J. Jackson found that molt starts soon after nesting season for adults with Primary 1, progressing in sequence to P10 into the fall. This bird was videoed on March 29 and is alone indicating the nest season is likely over, or was skipped, for this individual. 

It also may be an immature which was found to molt P1 at a similar time as adults. Since immatures have no breeding season and one was found by Jackson to have 5 new primaries by mid-summer it is likely that immatures start their molt on average a bit earlier than adults. The stage of molt sequence seen in this video is completely consistent with the specific, published literature for Campephilus principalis.  


Here is an exert from J. Jackson, 2002





The plumage molt detail described here shows the resolution of the subject video is acceptable for fine details and therefore species identification logically follows.       





















Ventral Bird

An IBWO has a mostly white underwing with a black center bar flaring out distally as it approaches the tip, that divides the white wing "halves". The ventral bird also has a black body. Thís video has a reflection (mirror image) of the bird on the water surface and realtive colors or shades can be seen; it was a windless day and the water surface was flat. Many frames show the reflection, and they were examined. Here are some:



















Frame capture shows a black center line on each wing, surrounded by lighter gray area around all of the inner wing, while showing the expected darker center body area. Other reflection captures, brighter than this, also show black wing tips, this dark center line and dark body area where it is expected. Also details that are very nuanced with black wing tips points out that the reflection is showing actual fine plumage details (see above sketch). Any doubter must bring up these frames and extract and/or zoom images to see for themselves.  These details are not easily seen except on your own PC screen. See other frames here. 







Green perimeter line drawn on outside of wing edge, shows lighter gray area surrounding dark central bar of an IBWO. Note dark body area and suggestion of black flare at tips of the IBWO wing. 
 

Underwing reflection, bird heading towards 2 o'clock. Note darker body, lighter "left" wing much lighter than body, consistent with IBWO. Both wings have a suggestion of dark central bar when zoomed.  Suggestion of long aspect ratio.  







Top sketch is of actual frame above of ventral side in video. Other sketches are what the respective species should look like in a video. Which expected species sketch matches the video? The best reflection frames all strongly or even exclusively favor the same species, IBWO. Statistically this is hard to explain away, over and over, in this video for characteristic after characteristic.   

Examination of the ventral side of this bird supports that it is an IBWO. 

    

Dorsal Bird White Trailing Half of Wings

This characteristic is seen in many featured video sequences and frames; it is considered the major field mark for an Ivory-billed followed by other field marks. The species and this bird have white primaries and secondaries across the entire trailing half of the wings.

The main field mark in the video is the major field mark of the IBWO. None of the other eight possible species has this field mark. 

Dorsal Bird, Black Leading Edge of Wing  

This is also a field mark, historically less than major, and not always seen well in flight over the centuries with reasons pertinent here. There are several frames that one can see the black but only a few frames that show its significant extent in the front half of the wings.

Not coincidentally the black shows best in frames on an upstroke or wing bend when the left inner wing is more perpendicular to the camera lens. And related some of the right forewing can show black on the downstroke when that plane of that part of the wing is more perpendicular to the camera lens. These nuances are strong kinematic evidence that the black is there.

The black is unequivocally seen in the latter half of sequence 1:39.483 to 1:39.600 and in subsequent frames. Looping these frames captures the often "fugitive" black.  

The leading edge of a black wing should in fact be periodically masked and in that odd respect, it supports the hypothesis that the bird has a dark leading wing edge. The black is at a worse angle of camera acquisition than for the white, motion blur is pulling the leading edge of the white over the trailing part of the black wing and there is a dark background under the wing. As expected of any camera the black is hard to resolve due to these conditions. And as expected it is seen when conditions abate a bit for one or more of these factors. 

The leading black's existence, even in frames it does not appear, is inferred by the unnaturally thin white in the wing mantle suggesting a gull or tern if that was the entire wing. Also, the leading white "edge" joins the body too far back positionally to actual be the leading edge and retain aerodynamic shape and function. There is something "missing" and when you see the black wing area during a video sequence it then makes sense.      

Dorsal Bird White"W" Pattern

Some Campephilus including IBWOs; show a white W pattern on the dorsal side. This bird shows the W in a few of the best frames. This is an unusual field mark, a bit complex with several angles, making it distinguishable since it does not readily occur randomly in poorly resolved videos. For it to appear in a video gives good clues on what the species is. See later section in this article on a comparative species model using the "W".  


W pattern obvious

 





Link to Original Paper      LA 2008 Ivory-billed paper

First Video regular speed, 2nd video 10% speed.  





Old Pearl River South of I 10, the habitat is below average and impossible to survey efficiently due to endless mud.  An IBWO was reported right here 9 years ago coming into a bordering backyard. 






Review of Potential or Possible Bird Species in the Video

Belted Kingfisher- the bird in the video is much larger and long-necked, and has large white trailing wing area, with black in the front wing. BEKI has none of these. The kingfisher has basically blue-gray, uniform, upper wings with a minor amount of white in the base of the mid-numbered primaries; this bird has nothing like that with a major white area on the trialing half of wings. The kingfisher has a much shorter wingspan and without any suggestion of a "W" pattern from wingtip to tip. A BEKI has a white collar and a faster, fluttery wing beat Hz while the video bird does not. BEKI is stiff in the shoulder moving basically up and down while the video bird rotates the shoulder as it sweeps its wings back during the cycle. The kingfisher does not have a central dark strip to the ventral wing and has a white body that is not showing in any of the ventral captures of the video bird. The bird does not seem to have a possible pattern on its back. The video bird is absolutely not a BEKI. 


Pileated Woodpecker - the PIWO does not have the white trailing wing like the video bird, is smaller and has no suggestion of a "W" pattern from wingtip to tip. The PIWO has a basically dark black mantle with some white in the base of the distal primaries, nothing like the video with a major white area on the trialing half of wings. The PIWO is not as long necked and has a slower wing beat Hz with much more noticeable wing binding than the video bird. A PIWO has an aspect ratio that is ~ 20% smaller than the bird in the video andr does not have a central dark strip to the ventral wing.  A Pileated does not fly 34 mph or have pointed swept back wings during the wing cycle. A Pileated does not have black tips to mostly white wings. The video bird is absolutely not a PIWO.

 Red-headed Woodpecker - the bird in the video is much larger and long -necked, and has a relatively larger white trailing wing area. RHWO undulates during flights and therefore has a wing binding much greater than the video bird. RHWO has a white rump unlike the video bird. This woodpecker has a significantly shorter wingspan and smaller aspect ratio and no suggestion of a "W" pattern from wingtip to tip. The RHWO should have a substantial dark tipped wing on the ventral side and a very light body but the bird does not show that. The RHWO has the distal third of the wing dark both dorsally and ventrally while the video bird shows a small amount of dark in the tip. The video bird is absolutely not a RHWO. 


Muscovy Duck - the MUDU has a large white leading half of the upper wing; the video bird has the opposite. This duck has a 37" wing span not a 30" wing span. It does not have a central dark strip to the ventral wing that is mostly light colored.  It does not form a white "W" pattern across the dorsum, wing tip to wing tip. The bird does not seem to have a possible pattern on its back. The video bird tucks its wings and has a swept back wing position during the cycle, the duck and most ducks do not tuck their wings during level power flight; they do not have the swept back appearance. The video bird is absolutely not a MUDU. 

Ringed Kingfisher - the RIKI has basically blue-gray, uniform, upper wings with a minor amount of white in the base of the mid-numbered primaries; this bird has nothing like that with a major white area on the trialing half of wings. This kingfisher is substantially shorter in wingspan and without any suggestion of a "W" pattern from wingtip to tip. It does not have a central dark strip to the ventral wing and has a rufous body that is not showing in any of the ventral captures of the video bird. The bird does not seem to have a possible pattern on its back. The video bird is absolutely not a RIKI. 

Wood Duck -  This duck has a substantially shorter wingspan and has no suggestion of a "W" pattern from wingtip to tip.  The WODU has basically dark-gray, uniform, upper wings with a minor thin strip of white on the trailing edge; this bird has nothing like that with a major white area on the trialing half of wings. The duck does not have a central dark strip to the ventral wing and has a light-colored body that is not showing in any of the ventral captures of the video bird. The duck does not have a possible pattern on its back. The bird in the video is much larger and long necked, and has large white trailing wing area, with black in the front wing. WODU has none of these. WODU is stiff in the shoulder moving basically up and down while the video bird rotates the shoulder as it sweeps its wings back during the cycle with wing binding. A WODU does not have black tips to mostly white wings. The video bird is absolutely not a WODU. 

Black-bellied Whistling Duck -  This duck has a pronounced angle at the wing not seen in the video during any cycle.  BBWD has a center white strip on wings and a large black trailing wing edge which is totally different that this bird.  And there is no hint of rufous on the upper body or forewing in the video bird. It does not have a central dark strip, its entire under wing is jet black on the ventral side different than the video bird. The bird does not seem to have a possible pattern on its back. BBWD does not have the flight style, swept back wings or wing binding in the video. The video bird is  absolutely not a BBWD.

Hooded Merganser - This Anatidae has a substantially shorter wingspan and has no suggestion of a "W" pattern from wingtip to tip.  The HOME has a basically dark-brown/black gray, mantle with a hint of white near the body, nothing like the video with a major white area on the trialing half of wings. The merganser does not have a central dark strip to the ventral wing and has a light-colored lower body that is not showing in any of the ventral captures of the video bird. The bird in the video is much larger. The HOME has a shallow, fast wing beat with no binding unlike the video bird.  HOME has a shallow wing beat with little front to back, shoulder and wing rotation. HOME is stiff at the shoulder moving basically up and down. It has the distal half wing totally dark. The video bird is absolutely not a HOME. 

Red-headed Woodpecker - the bird in the video is much larger and long -necked, and has a relatively larger white trailing wing area. RHWO undulates during flights and therefore has a wing binding much greater than the video bird. RHWO has a white rump unlike the video bird. This woodpecker has a significantly shorter wingspan and smaller aspect ratio and no suggestion of a "W" pattern from wingtip to tip. The RHWO should have a substantial dark tipped wing on the ventral side and a very light body but the bird does not show that. The RHWO has the distal third of the wing dark both dorsally and ventrally while the video bird shows a small amount of dark in the tip. The video bird is absolutely not a RHWO. 



 Characteristics of the 2008 SE LA Sighting, Video, etc. 










SPECIFIC FRAME TO THE RIGHT OF MAIN TREE, SEQUENCE 1:39 .183 TO 1:39 .249

This next frame is at the end of one of the sequences highlighted above. It has lost resolution in the steps to get it into the article and more processing work is needed. The ~ 4 frame sequence is unique; there is an S shaped turn in a very short distance that gives good evidence on the birds ID.

This sequence will appear here and will be analyzed. The sequence is completely consistent with the bird being only one species, an IBWO.  Any serious reviewer should look at the 4 sequences.     







This frame does not seem to be highlighted by Collins, but his works are spread out. He may have not noticed what appears in this frame, not sure. But it seems to have many field marks of an IBWO. They are poorly resolved however, but they may all be there. Background must be checked for 2. Tail. I feel tail is not lined up correctly with axis of bird, plus other reservations. This frame is supporting evidence, not emphasized in past papers. This frame is part of a video sequence that is unusual since it includes a rapid S turn  
 



















Frame of bird's' reflection heading towards 5 o'clock, Left side of camera tree. Showing black body possibly black and white wings, white may be in rear half of chord.




Belted Kingfisher can have a surprisingly long aspect ratio but has different plumage and much shorter  wing span, 22" AMKI to 30" IBWO, as shown above (see papers by Collins)

Bird
Bird moving to 2 o'clock,. if you rush adjustments on image you may lighten up trailing white half of wing without seeing the dark front half of wing. This frame was "brightened". 

Bird moving to 2 o'clock,. if you rush adjustments on image you may lighten up trailing white half of wing without seeing the dark front half of wing. This frame was "brightened". 






The "W" white pattern on some Campephilus including the N Campephilus clade is well known for their in-flight plumage pattern. The rather unique "W" shape, from wing tip to dorsal stipes to wing tip, is formed as your eyes follow the white pattern.

Here is a simple draft method proposed for examining videos which can lessen bias and emotion via a rules based preliminary "screening" or ID method.    
 


The concentration of white in a zoomed frame  depicts the "W" plumage pattern even in some  poorly resolved photos of Campephilus sp. At a certain point the sight angle for some birds becomes too shallow making it impossible for any "W" pattern to be captured in videos or photos as a traced out "W".

Here, used for the first time, is a draft simple, rapid method to assess if the white "W" pattern of a N Campephilus species is in a frame or picture.

Simply zoom in slightly on the ORIGINAL jpg if possible for best results. Then trace a line across the bird's dorsal side along any white area on the white area midline, with only a total of 1 or 4 straight strokes, from wing tip to body (if white on tail or body) to wing tip. Only 1 or 4 straight strokes must be used and one retrace line can be used to complete the process.

To eliminate bias for important cases or IDs three intelligent but unbiased parties who know nothing pertinent about large woodpeckers should be given instructions and then asked to complete the 1 or 4 lines step. Analytical software can also be used. 

The "W" pattern can be harder to see in the field or document with a camera as the sight line shallows. As the sight line becomes more obtuse the Campephilus white dorsal stripes will gradually "merge" or "disappear" and the pattern can become a side wise "T", a modified "I" or an "I".



Here are 3 frames picked for their better resolution from the 2008 video; these are correlated with the bird passing close to the tree as one would expect. The sight angles for the three frames were ~ 110, 112 and 130 degrees respectively.  

Each frame was passed thought the  above simple rules for drawing lines. All three 2008 video frames showed one of the model's patterns that indicates a Campephilus may be depicted in the frame. One of the frames, with an "I" pattern below, had slight white background anomalies that made it ambiguous whether the "T" pattern there was actually the bird or background. 

Here are the frames: 






 

Other frames in the video if examined with this convenient "screening" model will indicate a Campephilus may be in that particular frame. 
Suggestion of "W" in dorsal pattern of an IB here. Bird heading towards 2 o'clock. This is similar to other poorly resolved frames (AR 2004) determined to be IBWO and not PIWO after extensive review by 17 authors.   

Various people have proposed that the video shows a Belted Kingfisher. It does not. Very few characteristics of the bird in the video fit that species; it is impossible.

Inconsistencies with BEKI:

wing span   20 - 22 inches. video 30 inches

wing beat Hz may be different than video

plumage pattern inconsistent with video

no 
white patches in tip of darker wing
found in video 

no large white "bar" across trialing primaries and secondaries as seen in video 

no contrast between white neck & much
darker body

white pattern does not match simple model for poorly resolved Campephilus, see below, (model in testing only).
       




















The model seems to work on discerning BEKI even if overexposed in a video from NA Campephilus. It also further confirms that a Belted Kingfisher is not in the 2008 video. 

Miscellaneous Items 



     
Ivory-billed, East Texas decades ago. Circumstantial evidence supports this being a real IBWO.





East Louisiana 













Conclusion:

The video and associated papers have obvious weaknesses but many strengths not easily dismissed in a fair review. On the surface the video lacks aesthetics and value but in fact it is a diamond lost in the murky sediment of the modern need for instant gratification.     

The examination of this important evidence of a critically endangered species is long overdue by various individuals and entities. This incredible natural resource, if managed correctly, is potentially worth tens of millions of dollars in sustainable, ecotourism capital for rural, small businesses in the SE USA per year. 

The raw video file can be downloaded in 10-15 minutes for analysis requiring any standard video software. The video was thoroughly examined, adjusting speeds and performing crops for examination. Over 200 stills and many sequences were closely reviewed to assure all evidence was examined. The video gives various views and angles of the unique bird and its refection (mirror images). The original papers' assertions were checked and nothing antithetical to the conclusions were found.  

Many still frames and video sequences were extracted with video software, examined at reduced playback speeds, cropped, looped and zoomed. Characteristics seen during the examination of the video and attributes per Collins' papers which passed verification within, were listed. A characteristics matrix was prepared that listed the physical attributes seen in the video with prominent field marks of the eight non-Ivory-billed species added to the table with no consideration on whether they were in the video or not. 

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker had all 20 attributes seen in the video/papers while all other species averaged ~ 5 attributes with a maximum of 8 for two of the eight species. Because of the singular and more so the collective specificity of the attributes, the characteristics matrix eliminated all species as being in the video but an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. 

All the following contributed to the conclusion in addition to the matrix as they appeared consistently in the best frames and/or many frames: unique appearance of the bird compared to well-known species, long wing aspect ratio, obvious white in the entire trailing half of wings, black front of wings, unusual flight mechanics, "W" dorsal pattern in several frames, long neck, very rapid flight with high wing beat frequency, white mantle broken only by a gray body or dorsal stripes on a black body, swept back wings, ventral bird patterned like Ivory-billed, slight wing binding and more. Each frame and sequence were carefully looked at repeatedly; the only species indicated was Ivory-billed. In totality there were no frames or video sequences that indicated any other species than Ivory-billed Woodpecker. 

All possible species were considered. No other species is even slightly supported after reviewing every pertinent frame and many video sequences. The varied evidence clearly indicates an Ivory-billed Woodpecker was videoed. At least one Ivory-billed Woodpecker was in the Pearl River basin (LA) in March, 2008.





The following people are acknowledged for their important contributions here and in the field -- Emile DeVito PhD Ecology, Science Director, Vincent Maggiano, Forensic Videographer and Certified Court Videographer, Chris Fenney, Ivory-billed Field Researcher, Mike Casper, former President Monmouth Cty., NJ, Audubon, Owen Busler,  Software Engineer, Albert Lombardo, Federal Supervisor, Dave Schwartzberg, Policy Consultant, Jose Galarzo, Federal Officer,  Ryan Butler, Federal Officer, Donna Ortuso, T and E Surveyor, Beth Schiller-Busler, Federal Biologist, Ramon Sosa, Federal Biologist, Ash Asaad, Federal Officer, Karol Domagala, Federal Biologist, Sharon Levitz, Federal Technician  and Lori Cherepy, Federal Biologist.  

All copyright to Mike Collins, National Biodiversity Parks, Inc., and Fred Virrazzi, Zoologist . 

 





Bibliography pending 



"They had venison and wild game in abundance." 


We interviewed this individual on video (unpublished); he was very convincing.  

  "much like a pintail duck"

"A decline in the ability to engage in intermittent bounds is apparent with increasing body mass among woodpeckers (Picidae; Tobalske, 1995). "
 


 

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