Biologists and volunteers scouring the Mississippi River swamps in Arkansas admit they were unable to find conclusive evidence of the ivory-billed woodpecker.

The 6-month search cost $1 million. It was prompted by a brief videotape shot in 2004 at Cache River and White River national wildlife refuges in northeast Arkansas.

The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reports other ornithologists suspect the bird was actually the pileated woodpecker, which is closely related to the ivory-bill, which had been believed extinct in the area.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International