Fitzpatrick, John W; Lammertink, Martjan; Luneau, M David Jr; Gallagher, Tim W; Rosenberg, Kenneth V | Science (Washington D C), 2006; 311(5767)

Claims that the bird in the Luneau video is a normal pileated woodpecker are based on misrepresentations of a pileated's underwing pattern, interpretation of video artifacts as plumage pattern, and inaccurate models of takeoff and flight behavior. These claims are contradicted by experimental data and fail to explain evidence in the Luneau video of white dorsal plumage, distinctive flight behavior, and a perched woodpecker with white upper parts.