The peak with nozzle ivory ( Campephilus principalis ) is a bird of the family of the picidés and is the second largest peak of the world after the imperial Pic. It is probably extinct. It was formerly widespread, while being not very common, in the old forests of the the United States and of Cuba.
In the United States, the last proven observations date from the years 1950, although it is possible that it survived until in the years 1970. Since then, of the occasional data coming from south-east of the country always proved to refer to smaller species resembling to him superficially but, the large peak ( Dryocopus pileatus ). A couple would have been seen in 1999 in Pearl River Wildlife Management Center, in Louisiana, but that was not confirmed by research. The International union for the nature conservation (UICN) declared into 1996 that the species was extinct. However since 2004 it would seem that the peak with ivory nozzle was seen again in the Arkansas and various observations could be carried out thereafter which would seem to confirm the presence of peak with nozzle ivory.
The peak with nozzle ivory was formerly largely widespread in the south-east of the United States, since the Oklahoma and the Missouri until in North Carolina and towards the south until the Texas and in Florida, its original habitat being the vast marshy forests of plain. Its density of settlement was low, maximum 0,006 couple/10 ha, a couple needing at least 16 km ² of adequate medium. The destruction and the parcelling out of its biotope were the cause of a massive reduction in its manpower; in the years 1940 already, the species had been reduced to very a small number of individuals, and the forests continued to be destroyed. Interactions with the large peak can have also been responsible for the decline of its populations.
In a similar way, the majority of the occupied forests with Cuba by the race bairdii disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century, and this peak was thus confined with some waste scraps of the forest of pines of Cuba, in the east of the island. In 1948, a population was discovered in the mounts Cuchillas de Moa, and 6 territories were localized there in 1956, year during which 8 couples and 1 youthful were found in the east of Cuba; political problems prevented from continuing research on the ground until 1985, but meanwhile the majority of the forests of the area had been cut down and the species was not re-examined any more. The new forwardings carried out into 1986 located 1 bird with Ojito de Agua and a couple with Cabezada del Yarey; in 1991 it would seem that there remained one bird; in 1992 and 1993, intensive research on the ground in the east of Cuba did not manage to detect only one individual. With a deficit of mature forests remaining in the surfaces of distribution of the two races, it seems not very probable that this peak still survives. The only realistic hope seems to lie in a zone apparently nondisturbed of a forest of pines of altitude in the Maestra Sierra (south-eastern of the surface of origin in the east of Cuba); indeed, the species was observed there in 1998, but without later confirmation. Several forwardings had been carried out to find the peak with ivory nozzle but did not succeed. Confusion with a close, but smaller and rather widespread species, the hairy Peak, also caused error.
Description
Of a length from 48 to 53 cm and of a scale higher than 1 m, the peak with ivory nozzle has a white nozzle ivory, while its legs are gray. It is a black bird with very visible white bands on the sides of the neck. The wings have two broad white spots. The males have a crested bright red. Its cry of alarm is one “kent! ” or “hant! ” resembling the noise of a trumpet of child. Close to the nest, it emits whistles. Tambourinement is very powerful, and an individual would be able to dig a 12 depth cm hole in less than one minute. It forms a super-species with the imperial Pic which is him also in a critical situation, and even probably extinct.
External bonds
Zh-min-nan: Chhiūⁿ-Ge-chhùi tok-chhiū-chiáu
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