The Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon

by Cindy Laug

“Martha,” the last known passenger pigeon, passed away September 1, 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens. The year 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the extinction of the legendary Passenger Pigeon. Not to be confused with the common rock pigeon or messenger pigeon, the wild pigeon, as they were often referred to, were thought to have numbered between 3-5 billion, and be 25-40% of the total bird population in what is now known as North America. James John Audubon estimated the species could travel 60 miles per hour and flew in such enormous numbers to darken the sky as if the sun was hidden for days! The thunderous approach of a flight would terrorize both animals and humans alike causing mass havoc as they approached.

The traditional migration of these colonies of birds ran as far north as northern Ontario, Quebec Canada; westward to eastern Montana; and southward to Florida and Texas. The northern migration of this species would occur in early spring before the snow had completely melted. As you can imagine, when 1-2 million birds flocking together, traveling at that speed, decide to take up residence in your hometown the impact is enormous. One pioneer stated that one could feel the direction of the wind change as their odor permeated the air. Pigeons feasted on the mast of the hardwoods, devouring every morsel in sight. With their daily intake estimated at ½ pint per bird per day, one can only imagine the results to the surrounding vegetation and crops.

Because these gregarious passenger pigeons could only breed in large bird communities, a large nesting in the hardwood forests were known to be 3 miles long to 40 miles wide bringing both devastation and economic stability to the local communities.

Unfortunately for this species, they were quite tasty. Their abundant numbers were the cheapest terrestrial protein then available so they became a commodity sold in local and national markets to help feed the growing human population of Canada and the United States. They were both a mainstay of the poor and frequent offering in some of the fanciest venues of the 19th century.

This docile bird was also captured alive as the competitive sport of the wealthy, known as trap shooting, became popular in the big cities.

The recent expansion of the rail system throughout the Midwest enabled hunters, commonly known as pigeoners or netters, to transport their goods, dead or alive, not only by boat, but railcars as well. So by the 1850s the mass slaughters began as the number of pigeoners grew from 100 to 800 and altered what had once been a way to feed one’s family to become a lucrative business. By the late 1880’s the large nestings in Michigan, and surrounding states, were a rare sight. By the 1900s, the species was almost non-existent.

Was it human exploitation that plunged this species into extinction over the course of just a few decades in the late 1800’s? Were there other factors that played into this? What role, if any, did Grand Rapids play in its demise?

Find out more about this amazing species, its habitat, and final elimination, as we examine the world’s first documented extinction.

Cindy Lang

About the Author Cindy Laug

Cindy Laug lives in Spring Lake and has held a variety of positions at GVSU, currently working in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences for the dean, Fred Antczak.

At GVSU Cindy has stretched beyond her work duties to contribute to local history efforts. She organizes Women's History Month events at GVSU and recently a grandparents/ grandkids camp for which she partnered with GGRWHC to produce a series of bookmarks featuring 18 area women. The camp re-enacted a historical Ladies Literary Club meeting where hats and corsets were a big hit with the kids.

Cindy has continued several ongoing projects resulting in photo essays for the Grand Rapids Historical Commission website. For example: The Women of the Ridge, on whom she also did a program, http:// www.historygrandrapids.org/photoessay/1691/women-onthe-ridge/. Cindy has contributed at least eight photo essays, each researched, with lots of supporting materials. As a volunteer for the Coopersville Historical Society, Cindy sought local history programming to celebrate Women’s History Month, an outgrowth of her earlier organization of a community-wide celebration. Cindy has expanded her role as an organizer into the serious research, programming, and publishing activities that aid the broader effort to fill out the picture of our cultural legacy by rescuing long forgotten local women. In the process, Cindy has also helped expose the common misconception that the story of women's achievements is a tale of linear progression. Her work on area women in science, art, journalism, and agriculture illustrates that women’s accomplishments in the 1890s were in some cases achieved more easily than in the 1950s—and that the local can be “national,” especially in women’s history, where local researchers are elaborating and changing the record from which professional historians work.

“The Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon” by Cindy Laug at the 2014 Banquet of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, Thursday, May 8, 2014. Reception 6:00 p.m. Dinner 6:45 p.m. Program follows at Women’s City Club.