Is it too soon to declare the ivory-billed woodpecker extinct?

Scientists have searching for the bird ever since a kayaker apparently spied one in 2004 - can we be sure it's really gone?

This week the US government declared the ivory-billed woodpecker and 22 species extinct. They were officially removed from the endangered species list because they hadn't been documented in the wild for many years.

The loss of the species was hailed by many as a consequence of human population growth and the attendant loss of natural habitats and growth in pollution, as well as the climate crisis.