Review – Ghost Bird

In 2005 naturalists announced the rediscovery of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, thought to have been extinct for decades. The news caused a boom for the economically-depressed corner of Arkansas where the sighting supposedly took place. Sadly, the sightings went unconfirmed, and eventually the furor died down. This documentary explores the various aspects of the controversy, from bird-watching tourism to scientific integrity to competition for government funding. The movie could have been shorter and might have featured fewer false endings, but overall it was good stuff. Mildly amusing