Lord God Birds in the Scientific Literature

In recent years, Lord God Bird (and, alternatively, Good God Bird) has come to be recognized in popular culture as an accepted colloquial name for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis). Curious as to whether there is a historical basis for this close association, I queried SORA (the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive) for “Good God” and “Lord God.” The search yielded eight references that contained one or both of these search terms. These references span the period from 1895 to 1922, and include six papers published in the Auk and two in the Wilson Bulletin.

All eight of the papers note that Lord God or Good God were names applied to the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus).

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is mentioned in two three papers, with Corrington (1922) stating that Lord God (being a corruption of “log-cock“) is “a local vernacular name applied indiscriminately” to both Pileated and Ivory-billed in coastal Mississippi. Corrington’s statement was obviously overlooked by Tanner and Terres, neither of whom list Lord God or Good God as alternative names for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (see here).

Corrington thus appears to offer the only scientific support for the notion that Lord God was an alternative name for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in some portions of its range, but note his admonition (see below) that Lord God, and Good God as well, “is a corruption of ‘Log-cock,’ a designation met with in many portions of the south.” This finding sheds no light on how widespread the application of Lord God or Good God for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker might have been by people throughout the historic range of the woodpecker.

Relevant text from each of the eight papers is provided below in chronological order:

(1) At one point during his traverse of a swamp in southeastern Missouri, Widman (1895) related: “over the slough a large bird darted, apparently a Pileated Woodpecker or Good God, as the people call it there [in Indian Slough]; but did it not show an extraordinary amount of white, almost as much as a Redhead[ed Woodpecker]? Could it be the long sought for Ivorybill? I concluded not to go on, as intended, but to stay in the vicinity and to keep a sharp look-out; possibly I might get another and better chance for identification. I waited [in vain].”

(2) Of the Pileated Woodpecker in Alachua County, Florida, it is said: “The ‘Lord God,’ as he is known in this section, is one of the commonest woodpeckers in the county nesting in the hammocks and cypress swamps in early April.” Of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, it is said: “Very rare. Found one nest in the County that contained young. Fresh eggs about February 15.“ The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not mentioned (Baynard 1913).

(3) Alternative common names for the Pileated Woodpecker in the “Okefinokee” Swamp are given as ‘Kate,’ ‘Wood Kate,’ ‘Woodcock,’ ‘Good-God Woodpecker,’ and ‘Lord-God Woodpecker.’ No mention is made of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Wright and Harper 1913).

(4) Alternative common names for the Pileated Woodpecker in Autauga and Montgomery counties, Alabama, are given as “Lord-god,” “Woodcock,” and “Indian Hen.” The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is not mentioned (Golsan and Holt 1914).

(5) Local names for the Pileated Woodpecker in Wakulla County, Florida, are given as “Good God and “Wood Cady.” The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is mentioned, but no alternative names are provided for it (Williams 1920).

(6) Of the Pileated Woodpecker in southeastern Arkansas, it is said: “Known locally as ‘Lord God’ and ‘Wood God.’ Said to be common in the cypress swamps.” No mention is made of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Hunt 1921).

(7) “The local vernacular names applied indiscriminately to this species [Pileated Woodpecker] and the Ivory-bill are interesting. The commonest term is “Lord God,” said by some to be in fancied imitation of one of the call notes, but I agree with the explanation of Miss [Josie] Pope [of Biloxi, Mississippi] that it is a corruption of “Log Cock,” a designation met with in many parts of the south. The “Lord God” has in turn suffered corruptions, among them being “Good God” and “Oh My God” (Corrington 1922)

(8) “This bird [the Pileated Woodpecker], often designated by the natives as the ‘Indian Hen,’ is now seldom shot for its plumage, and it has learned to be wary of the man with a gun. We have heard the name ‘Wood-chuck’ applied to it, and even more frequent, both in Alabama and Arkansas, the title, ‘Lord God.’ It is a mighty ‘excavator,’ the entrance to most nests is not only large, but the cavity beneath is deep and very ample.” No mention is made of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Wheeler 1922).

Sources:

Baynard, Oscar E. 1913. Breeding birds of Alachua County, Florida. Auk 30: 240-247.

Corrington, Julian D. 1922. The winter birds of the Biloxi, Mississippi, region. Auk 39: 530-556.

Golsan, Lewis S., and Ernest G. Holt. 1914. Birds of Autauga and Montgomery counties, Alabama. Auk 31: 212-235.

Hunt, Chreswell J. 1921. Notes on the winter and early spring birds of southeastern Arkansas. Auk 38: 370-381.

Widman, O. 1895. Swainson’s Warbler an inhabitant of the swampy woods of southeastern Missouri. Auk 12: 113-117.

Wheeler, H. E. 1922. Random notes from Arkansas. Wilson Bulletin 34: 221-224.

Williams, John. 1920. Notes on birds of Wakulla County, Florida. Wilson Bulletin 32: 5-12.

Wright, Albert M., and Francis Harper. 1913. A biological reconnaissance of Okefinokee Swamp: the birds. Auk 30: 477-505.

Addendum: Tom Nelson linked to this post at the Ivory-billed Skeptic blog. As a result of that link, the following comments were posted here.