Wing of the Week

OK, so this is more like a biweekly wing. In honor of the visit by Auburn University ornithologist Dr. Geoff Hill to the Cincinnati Museum Center this week on Feb. 28 to participate in the museum's Charles and Ralph Dury Lecture Series let's take a look at the wing of a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Putative Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) sightings are often in actuality this common species of the woodpecker family. The difference is that on both the topside (top photo) and the bottom (bottom photo) of the Pileated Woodpecker wing there is no white on the trailing edge. Knowing what field marks to look for is absolutely critical for those looking to tick off an Ivory-billed Woodpecker from their life lists!

For those in the Cincinnati area I encourage you to attend the lecture by Dr. Geoff Hill on Feb. 28 at 7:30 at Cincinnati Museum Center to learn more about the hunt for the elusive Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Also, check out Dr. Hill's new book, 'Ivorybill Hunters: Search for Proof in a Flooded Wilderness', on the Ivory-bill Woodpecker search.
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