Since the early twentieth century, scientists have been trying their best to prove that the ivory-bill is extinct. But every time they think they've finally closed the door, the bird makes an unexpected appearance. To unravel the mystery, author Gallagher heads south, deep into the eerie swamps and bayous of the vast Mississippi Delta, searching for people who claim to have seen this rarest of birds and following up--sometimes more than 30 years after the fact--on their sightings. He meets a colorful array of characters, but in most cases, they are clearly decades too late. Then, when the two speak to an Arkansas kayaker who saw a mystery woodpecker the week before, the hunt is on. Their Eureka moment is the first time since 1944 that two qualified observers positively identify an ivory-billed woodpecker in the United States.--From publisher description.
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