Arthur Allen meticulously organized his camera gear and personal belongings in his home in Ithaca, New York. He was preparing for a journey to the dense, murky swamps of Osceola County, Florida, on a quest to find a legendary bird: the ivory-billed woodpecker. Most experts believed this magnificent bird was extinct, but Allen was determined to uncover the truth.

It was 1924, and Allen, a passionate ornithology professor at Cornell University, was gearing up for a much-anticipated sabbatical. Known for his robust build and sociable demeanor, his students fondly referred to him as Doc Allen, appreciating his approachable teaching style. Born and raised in working-class Buffalo, New York, Allen had moved to Ithaca in 1904 to pursue his studies at Cornell and had made it his lifelong home.

Allen was not alone in his fascination with this striking bird, the largest woodpecker native to the United States, recognized for its breathtaking black-and-white feathers, brilliant white bill, and bright yellow eyes. In the 18th century, the English naturalist and artist Mark Catesby documented the species, illustrating it in his seminal work, Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, published in 1731. The bird also attracted the attention of early 19th-century naturalists like Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon, who included their own illustrations of the ivory-billed woodpecker in their publications. During that time, collecting specimens was common practice, posing no immediate threat to the species. However, as forests were cleared for agriculture, essential habitats were destroyed, and many birds were hunted for commercial purposes, leading to the extinction of several species, most notably the passenger pigeon, which was killed en masse for food.

Allen’s passion for avian studies was all-consuming, particularly concerning species on the brink of extinction. By this time, the great auk, passenger pigeon, and Carolina parakeet had already vanished, and many believed the ivory-billed woodpecker had met the same fate. Undeterred, Allen was committed to spending months combing through the Floridian landscape in a bid to observe, study, and photograph this elusive bird. This expedition symbolized a pivotal shift in ornithology—transitioning from the practice of killing rare birds to a focus on their conservation.

Prior to 1796, when the French scientist Georges Cuvier first introduced the idea of extinction, the concept that a species could be lost forever was unimaginable. In earlier years, Thomas Jefferson had confidently asserted, “Such is the economy of nature that no instance can be produced of her having permitted any one race of her animals to become extinct.” However, as awareness of extinction grew in the Victorian era, so did the appetite for hunting and collecting specimens, particularly those nearing extinction. This period marked the zenith of specimen collecting, especially for birds and their eggs, with the most endangered species often commanding the highest value. “Now is the time to collect,” wrote W.T. Hornaday, the Smithsonian’s chief taxidermist, in an 1891 publication, foreseeing the day when many vertebrate species would be either eradicated or survive only under protection.

Notable figures in ornithology were complicit in the widespread killing of birds. William Brewster, a co-founder and former president of the American Ornithologists’ Union (now the American Ornithological Society), amassed a collection of over 40,000 specimens and later curated Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. He actively hunted birds and purchased rare specimens from fellow enthusiasts, including Arthur T. Wayne. In a letter to Brewster following a collection trip in 1892, Wayne boasted of acquiring 43 Bachman’s warblers (now extinct) and 13 “fine ivory-billed woodpeckers.” He even placed an advertisement in the AOU’s journal, The Auk, offering pairs of ivory-bills for sale, strategically positioned beneath an ad for repeating rifles.

Naturalists were acutely aware of the ivory-billed woodpecker’s plight. “The probabilities are that [the ivory-billed woodpecker] will soon be extinct,” lamented Charles Abbott in 1894.

The bird’s striking beauty made it irresistible to collectors, taxidermists, and hat manufacturers, while those advocating for its preservation faced ridicule. When the Fish and Wildlife Service declared the ivory-billed woodpecker extinct, many ornithologists reacted with skepticism, believing the bird might still exist. Consequently, the government opted to withhold a final determination for the time being.

Arthur Allen’s lasting legacy lies in the profound influence he had on ornithology. Throughout his distinguished career, he educated over 10,000 Cornell undergraduates and mentored some of the leading ornithologists of the 20th century. He played a crucial role in establishing the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which has become a vital force in bird conservation efforts.

In the 1960s, when pesticides brought the North American peregrine falcon to the brink of extinction, Tom Cade, a professor at Cornell and director of raptor research at the Lab of Ornithology, initiated an extensive captive-breeding program. This effort resulted in the successful reintroduction of thousands of young falcons into their natural habitats, leading to the peregrine falcon’s removal from the endangered species list in 1999.

Since then, conservation efforts for birds have achieved remarkable milestones, including the recovery of the California condor and the whooping crane. The global citizen-science initiative known as the Search for Lost Birds is actively working to locate 144 bird species that have not been sighted in over a decade, underscoring the commitment to safeguarding endangered avian species. Today’s ornithologists continue to champion the survival of these birds, building upon the foundational work and conservation philosophy advocated by Arthur Allen.

By fostering collaboration and innovation, we can continue to advance our efforts in protecting these magnificent creatures and preserving the rich tapestry of biodiversity for future generations.