As September 1st approaches it is again important to acknowledge the huge significance of this day regarding species conservation, notably in the profound lessons it conveys regarding the immense impact that humanity is having on the other life on our planet. Sept. 1st marks the sad anniversary of the day in 1914 of the death of the last known passenger pigeon (a captive female named Martha who was housed at the Cincinnati Zoo), her death thus signifying the extinction of the species. I consider the loss of the passenger pigeon to be the most infamous of the many human-caused species extinctions, something that stands as one of the most egregious monuments to human greed and callousness. This bird was likely the most gregarious avian species of all time. There are numerous accounts of flocks of astounding size numbering in the millions. There was even a report of a flock that was estimated at 2.2 BILLION pigeons! Such mega-flocks were known to blacken the sky and pass overhead in a continuous flow over the course of an entire day. The night roosts utilized by these mega-flocks reached staggering proportions. One such roost reported by the famed naturalist John J. Audubon was estimated to cover an area forty miles in length by over three miles in width—in other words, an area of over 120 square miles! It seemed unimaginable that a species which existed in such incomprehensible abundance could be lost. Yet, humans drove even this impossibly numerous species to extinction and did so essentially within a thirty year period.
Despite the extreme magnitude of this extinction episode, the story of the passenger pigeon is poorly known among the public. Many people have no knowledge of this story or even know what a passenger pigeon is. For those who are unfamiliar with this important tale and would like to learn about the passenger pigeon’s story I highly recommend watching a documentary about this bird titled From Billions to None which is available on DVD. I’ve recently learned that the complete documentary has been loaded onto YouTube and can be viewed there. A special highlight of this documentary is a spectacular computer generated graphic depiction of what a huge mega-flock of passenger pigeons might have looked like while in flight.
Despite the extreme magnitude of this extinction episode, the story of the passenger pigeon is poorly known among the public. Many people have no knowledge of this story or even know what a passenger pigeon is. For those who are unfamiliar with this important tale and would like to learn about the passenger pigeon’s story I highly recommend watching a documentary about this bird titled From Billions to None which is available on DVD. I’ve recently learned that the complete documentary has been loaded onto YouTube and can be viewed there. A special highlight of this documentary is a spectacular computer generated graphic depiction of what a huge mega-flock of passenger pigeons might have looked like while in flight.
