Mark A. Michaels

Mark Michaels, adorned with binoculars, gazes into the distance amidst lush natural surroundings, embodying his fervent pursuit of the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker in the film American Grail: A Quest For The Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

Michaels is a compelling figure.

– Evan Wedsworth, The Pulp’s guide to binging the 21st Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, 2024

From CBGB to the swamps of Louisiana, my life has been multifaceted and passion-driven. Since 2005, I have immersed myself in studying the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, spending countless hours in the field. I co-founded Project Principalis (formerly Project Coyote), which formed a partnership with the National Aviary in 2019.

I am the protagonist/writer in American Grail: A Quest for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, which premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Festival in 2024. I have blogged extensively about all things ivorybill and am author or co-author of several scientific papers on the bird . . . Among many other things.

IMGP4572.jpeg
IMGP5468.jpeg
IMGP4584.jpeg
IMGP4624.jpeg
IMGP4683.jpeg
IMGP4726.jpeg
IMGP4767.jpeg
IMGP4802.jpeg
IMGP4989.jpeg
IMGP5447.jpeg
IMGP5448.jpeg
IMGP5489.jpeg
IMGP5495.jpeg
IMGP5509.jpeg
IMGP5706.jpeg
IMGP5719.jpeg
IMGP5809.jpeg
IMGP5925.jpeg
IMGP6113.jpeg
IMGP6114.jpeg