Passenger pigeon extinction
The extinction of the passenger pigeon, once one of the most abundant bird species in North America, serves as a stark reminder of the impact human activities can have on wildlife. In the early 1800s, billions of passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) roamed the continent, but relentless hunting and habitat disruption led to their rapid decline. Market hunting, driven by demand for their meat and feathers, played a crucial role in their extinction. The pigeons' unique breeding habits made them particularly vulnerable; they nested in large colonies, allowing hunters to kill vast numbers at once, often using brutal methods like baited nets.
Despite their initial abundance, the passenger pigeon population dwindled to just a single individual by the early 20th century, with the last known wild bird killed in 1900. The extinction was cemented when the last captive passenger pigeon died in a zoo in 1914. The loss of the passenger pigeon prompted discussions about wildlife protection, leading to significant legislation like the Lacey Act of 1900, which aimed to safeguard other bird species from similar fates. This case highlights the importance of conservation efforts and the need for sustainable practices to protect vulnerable species from extinction.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Passenger pigeon extinction
IDENTIFICATION: Extinction of a species of migratory pigeon that was native to North America
The extinction of the passenger pigeon, a bird species that was once abundant in North America, illustrates how quickly even very large populations of animals can be wiped out by human activity.
During the sixteenth century, giant flocks of passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) flew freely across the North American continent. This pattern changed rapidly with increased settlement of the continent by Europeans. Even at the start of the nineteenth century, billions of passenger pigeons existed in North America. One hundred years later, however, only one was left. The extinction of the passenger pigeon was caused entirely by human beings. Hunters killed millions of birds each year, but, more important, they disrupted the passenger pigeon’s breeding cycle.
Passenger pigeons were particularly vulnerable because they nested en masse; flocks of pigeons would nest so closely together in trees that a hunter could kill more than one hundred birds with a single shotgun blast. In fact, passenger pigeons were so easy to shoot that they were not considered a game bird until the mid-nineteenth century. Hunters achieved especially high yields by using nets baited with “stool pigeons,” live passenger pigeons with their eyelids sewn shut. The blinded birds were placed on stools in front of nets in order to lure other pigeons in; a single net could capture more than one thousand birds.
Adult pigeons abandoned the new generation of young pigeons, or squabs, before they could fly, leaving them to wander on the ground. Much fatter than the adult birds, squabs were delicious to eat. Hunters dislodged squabs in nests by setting fire to the bark of trees at the bases, causing the birds to leap to the ground. One observer recalled that the “squabs were so fat and clumsy that they would burst open on striking the ground.” The senseless slaughter of squabs sealed the fate of passenger pigeons as a species.
No legislation was created to protect the passenger pigeon. In fact, the majority of laws precluded shooting in the vicinity of nesting areas so as not to interfere with the hunters’ nets. It is believed that the last wild passenger pigeon was killed on March 24, 1900. One month later, while arguing for a bill to prevent interstate trade of wild birds, Iowa congressman John Fletcher Lacey noted that the wild pigeon “has entirely disappeared from the face of the earth.” Passage of the Lacey Act in May 1900, was a significant step toward protection of birds and a major to the Endangered Species Act of 1970. Like the buffalo, passenger pigeons were particularly vulnerable because of their great numbers. Similarly, the expansion of railroads and influx of commercial hunters created a short-lived industry that rapidly exterminated millions of birds. Sadly, however, not enough passenger pigeons were preserved in zoos to guarantee survival of the species. The world’s last passenger pigeon died on September 1, 1914, at a zoo in Cincinnati.
Bibliography
Fuller, Errol. Extinct Birds. Rev. ed. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2001.
"Passenger Pigeons: Topics in Chronicling America." Library of Congress, 28 Dec. 2023, guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-passenger-pigeons. Accessed 21 July 2024.
Schorger, A. W. The Passenger Pigeon: Its Natural History and Extinction. 1955. Reprint. Caldwell, N.J.: Blackburn Press, 2004.