There are a few bird species that were hunted to extinction in the 1900s. Some of the most well-known examples include the Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, and Labrador Duck. Hunting was one of the main reasons why these birds went extinct, along with habitat loss and other factors. In this article, we will focus on the Passenger Pigeon and how hunting led to its extinction in the early 20th century.
Overview of the Passenger Pigeon
The Passenger Pigeon was a species of pigeon native to North America. They were once extremely abundant, with flocks numbering in the billions. Their flocks were so dense that they darkened the sky when they flew overhead. Passenger Pigeons were migratory birds that would travel from their nesting grounds in the eastern and central United States to forage for food in other parts of the country. They mainly fed on beechnuts, acorns, chestnuts, seeds, and berries.
Passenger Pigeons nested in very large colonies, with thousands of breeding pairs in a single colony site. They built flimsy nests out of small twigs and sticks in trees. The female would lay just one egg per clutch. Passenger Pigeons went from abundant to extinct in just a few decades due to massive commercial hunting. By the late 1800s, their population was declining rapidly. The last known Passenger Pigeon named Martha died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.
Hunting of the Passenger Pigeon
The Passenger Pigeon was subjected to relentless hunting pressures throughout the 1800s. As they were abundant, easy to hunt, and provided a lot of meat, they became a major source of commercial hunting. There were several ways in which the Passenger Pigeon was hunted:
Netting
One common way to capture them was through large nets. When the pigeons were nesting in colonies, professional hunters would set up large nets and trap hundreds or thousands of them at once. The trapped pigeons were killed and sold as a food source in markets.
Mass Shooting
Another common way the Passenger Pigeon was hunted was by mass shooting. When the pigeons formed large flocks, people would surround them and start shooting at them. Each hunter could kill dozens of birds per day by this method. The pigeons were so densely clustered that the hunters could just keep shooting and reloading until the entire flock was wiped out.
Nest Destruction
When the Passenger Pigeons formed their nesting colonies, hunters would sometimes attack the nesting sites. They would cut down trees, set fires, use sticks to knock down nests, and shoot the adult pigeons. This allowed them to collect the squabs (chicks) to sell at market. Destroying such large nesting colonies dealt a serious blow to the Passenger Pigeon population.
Assembling at Roosting Sites
Passenger Pigeons frequently roosted together at night in large communal roosts. Hunters would take advantage of these roosting congregations by surrounding the trees at night and shooting the pigeons once they settled in. By one account, over 50,000 birds were killed at one roost in Petoskey, Michigan in 1878.
Effects of Hunting on the Species
The hunting of the Passenger Pigeon was completely unsustainable. During the 1800s, millions of Passenger Pigeons were killed each year as they were a vital food source and commercial product. Here are some key effects the excessive hunting had:
Sharp Population Decline
From around 5 billion birds in the early 1800s, the Passenger Pigeon population dropped to only a few thousand by the end of the century. The population was decimated within an extremely short time frame as hunting outpaced their reproductive rate.
Loss of Nesting Habitat
With fewer pigeons available each year, the remaining birds were not able to form breeding colonies as large or as dense as before. This meant they could no longer nest in safety and rear their young successfully.
Disruption of Migratory Patterns
The migratory flocks became smaller and more scattered. This made it harder for the remaining birds to find adequate food in their seasonal habitats across North America throughout the year.
Genetic Bottlenecks
The surviving number of Passenger Pigeons became so low that inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity occurred. This resulted in faster rates of decline and extinction.
Timeline of Extinction
Here is a timeline showing the rapid extinction of the Passenger Pigeon due to hunting pressures:
| Year | Estimated Passenger Pigeon Population |
|---|---|
| Early 1800s | Around 5 billion |
| Mid 1800s | Likely over 1 billion, but already declining sharply |
| Late 1870s | Several hundred million remaining |
| Early 1880s | Under 100 million remaining |
| Early 1890s | Tens of millions remaining |
| 1900 | A few thousand remaining |
| 1910 | A few hundred remaining |
| 1914 | Extinct in the wild after Martha’s death |
Could the Extinction Have Been Prevented?
The hunting and subsequent extinction of the Passenger Pigeon happened very quickly on an evolutionary timescale. Some key factors that possibly could have prevented their extermination include:
Banning Mass Hunting Earlier
If legislation had been passed much earlier in the 1800s to ban the mass shooting and netting of Passenger Pigeons, their numbers likely would not have declined so rapidly.
Enforcing Protections of Roosting and Nesting Sites
If their major nesting colonies and night roosts were identified and given protected status, it could have helped preserve their breeding and foraging habits.
Establishing Captive Breeding Populations
Attempting captive breeding in zoos or aviaries may have been able to bolster their wild population numbers, as was done too late for Martha.
Increasing Public Awareness
Educating the public about the need for responsible hunting and sustainability may have garnered support for conservation efforts. However, ecological awareness was not as prevalent at the time.
Conclusion
The Passenger Pigeon went from being the most abundant bird in North America to going completely extinct in the wild within a few decades. Widespread uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss were responsible for their incredibly swift downfall. Stricter regulation of hunting practices and captive breeding programs may have been able to save them from extinction. Sadly, the last of its kind died out before any meaningful conservation efforts could be taken. Their story remains a cautionary tale about mankind’s ability to wipe out even extremely prolific species through overhunting. The need for sustainable practices and habitat protections is evident from the tragic extinction of the Passenger Pigeon.
