A digital specimen of the extinct Imperial Woodpecker: integrating museum scans, historical film and animated feather articulation

The Imperial Woodpecker ( Campephilus imperialis ), the world’s largest woodpecker species, is presumed extinct following the collapse of old-growth pine forest in its endemic range in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico. Here, we present a detailed, animated 3D reconstruction of an adult female C. imperialis , built from photogrammetric scans of a physical museum study skin and parameterised against historical footage of the species in the wild. The primary, secondary and tail feathers were individually modelled and rigged within a full skeletal armature, enabling simulation of feather articulation across both flight and climbing behaviour. To our knowledge, this represents one of the first open, specimen-based avian reconstructions to combine a photogrammetric body model with individually rigged feathers capable of animated folding and flight-like articulation. The result is presented as a reproducible scientific model rather than an artistic reconstruction, with explicit documentation of data sources, methodological decisions and morphological uncertainties. The resulting model is an open-access digital specimen, intended to support morphometric analysis, biomechanical flight simulation and broader engagement with avian biodiversity loss. We discuss the implications of this approach for the digitisation of extinct and endangered taxa and its potential to extend the analytical value of natural history collections beyond the physical constraints of the specimen itself.