Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is a striking black, white and red bird found in the dense, hardwood forests of Southern USA and Cuba. The largest woodpecker in the USA, it is sometimes referred to as the "Holy Grail bird" (because of its rarity and elusiveness) and the "Good God bird". Their population declined steeply as a result of hunting and habitat destruction, and sightings ceased for many years, leading some to declare it extinct. But there is mounting evidence that suggests it remains alive, that somewhere deep in the coniferous forests, flashes of red, white and black still dart playfully through the trees! And we like those odds.  

BirdLife International is among the many organisations that believe the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is alive, and their programme Preventing Extinctions is solely devoted to the location and protection of critically endangered birds like this one. 30% of the proceeds from this Metalbird go directly to BirdLife Extinction, so they can do their selfless and valuable work.

Our Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is: