The Grail Bird
by Gallagher, Tim
What is it about the ivory-billed woodpecker? Why does this ghost of the southern swamps arouse such an obsessive level of passion in its devotees, who range from respected researchers to the flakiest Loch Ness monster fanatics and Elvis chasers?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. It happened in the 1920s, and it’s happened in almost every subsequent decade. For more than 60 years, each sighting has been met with ridicule and scorn. Respected researchers and naturalists have been branded as quacks just for having the temerity to say that the ivory-bill still exists. Yet the reports still trickle in. Is there any truth to these sightings, or are they just a case of wishful thinking, misidentification, or outright fabrication? To unravel the mystery, author Tim 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 upsometimes more than 30 years after the facton their sightings. He meets a colorful array of characters: a cigar-chomping ex-boxer who took two controversial pictures of an alleged ivory-bill in 1971; a former corporate lawyer who abandoned her career to search for ivory-bills full time; two men who grew up in the ivory-bill’s last known stronghold in a final remnant of primeval forest in Louisiana. With his buddy Bobby Harrison, a true son of the South from Alabama, Gallagher hits the swamps, wading through hip-deep, boot-sucking mud and canoeing through turgid, mud brown bayous where deadly cottonmouth water moccasins abound. In most cases, they are clearly decades too late. But when the two speak to an Arkansas backwoods kayaker who saw a mystery woodpecker the week before and has a description of the bird that is too good to be a fantasy, the hunt is on. Their Eureka moment comes a few days later as a huge woodpecker flies in front of their canoe, and they both cry out, Ivory-bill!” This sightingthe first time since 1944 that two qualified observers positively identify an ivory-billed woodpecker in the United Statesquickly leads to the largest search ever launched to find a rare bird, as researchers fan out across the bayou, hoping to document the existence of this most iconic of birds.
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The Grail Bird : Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
by Tim Gallagher
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- 2005
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2005. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. An ex-library book and may have standard library… Read more about this item Item Price
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The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
by Tim Gallagher
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Author-signed second printing. Volume, measuring approximately 6" x 8.75", is bound in black cloth, with stamped gilt lettering to spine. Book and dust jacket are in excellent condition. Work is illustrated with eight-page section of color photos.Author's signature appears underneath his printed name on title page. xv/272 pages.
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Boston / New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Book. Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). First Edition, Second Printing.. Second printing of the first edition, SIGNED by author, in clean unclipped dust jacket. Clean black paper-covered boards with bright gold lettering on spine. No fading, bumping or wear. Binding is tight and square, pages and edges are clean and bright. Clean endpapers… Read more about this item Item Price
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The Grail Bird: The Rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
by Gallagher, Tim
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The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
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The Grail Bird : Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
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Houghton Mifflin, 2005. First Dell . Hardcover. As New/As New. (1st edition, 1st printing) Large, sturdy book, black covers, gilt lettering very bright on spine, 272 pages including a glossy photo section. An ink gift note and date at top of first front end paper. On half-title page in black ink: "To Bob and Shirley Johnson, The Ivory-bill… Read more about this item Item Price
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Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker takes us on an adventure to catch sight of the "ghost of southern swamps" that has been thought to be extinct but......with color photos. Item Price
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The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
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The Grail Bird : Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
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The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
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The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
by Gallagher, Tim
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. First Edition. Hardcover. Like New/Like New. First Edition, First Printing. Not price-clipped ($25.00 price intact). Published by Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Octavo. Black cloth boards stamped in gold. Book is like new. Sharp corners and spine straight. Binding tight and pages crisp. Previous owner inscription on flyleaf. Dust jacket is like new. 275 pages. ISBN:… Read more about this item Item Price
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THE GRAIL BIRD: HOT ON THE TRAIL OF THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER [SIGNED]
by Gallagher, Tim
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The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
by Tim Gallagher
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