In 2005, scientists announced that the ivory-billed woodpecker, thought to be extinct for 60 years, was spotted in the swamps of Eastern Arkansas. Suddenly the swamps were flooded with ornithologists, birders, and millions of government dollars, and the struggling nearby town of Brinkley discovered a promotional edge.

Credible evidence of the woodpecker's actual existence has been elusive, however. The film balances the testimony (pro and con) of prominent scientists and bird experts with an examination of the seductive power of hope and investigation into the politics of our uneasy relationship with nature.

The New York Times called Ghost Bird "a witty, wistful documentary (that turns) a bird-watching tale into a multilayered story that will fascinate practically everybody."

Banner image courtesy of ghostbirdmovie.com