Birds have existed on Earth for over 150 million years, with the earliest bird fossils dating back to the Jurassic period. In that time, many species of birds have gone extinct due to natural causes or human activity. When we think of extinct birds, a few particularly famous examples come to mind.
The Dodo
The dodo is perhaps the most well-known extinct bird. This large, flightless pigeon was native to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It lived in the forests of Mauritius, eating fruits that fell from trees. The dodo had no natural predators on Mauritius and consequently lost the ability to fly over generations.
The dodo was first encountered by Portuguese sailors in 1507. Later visits by Dutch, French and British colonists and sailors led to the extinction of the dodo by 1681. Sailors captured and ate many dodos for food. The introduction of pigs, macaques, rats, dogs and cats by colonists led to predation of dodos and their eggs. Deforestation also destroyed much of the dodo’s habitat.
The dodo was described as having grayish plumage, a 23-inch long blackish bill with reddish sheath forming the hooked tip, small useless wings, stout yellow legs and a tuft of curly feathers on its rear end. It weighed around 40 pounds as an adult. The dodo was flightless, with tiny wings relative to its large body size.
The peculiar appearance of the dodo led to it being featured in European paintings, drawings and literature as an exotic oddity for over a century after its extinction. It became seen as a symbol of obsolescence, used as an icon for endangered species due to human activity.
Key Facts
- Lived on Mauritius island
- Went extinct in 1681
- Hunted by humans for food
- Preyed on by introduced animals
- Deforestation destroyed habitat
- Flightless and weighed up to 40 lbs
- Iconic extinct bird featured in art and literature
Passenger Pigeon
The passenger pigeon was a species of pigeon endemic to North America. It lived in enormous migratory flocks numbering in the billions that darkened the skies as they flew overhead. The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird in North America and possibly the world.
The pigeons bred in colonies in eastern North America that ranged from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. They migrated in search of food like acorns, chestnuts, grapes and berries. Passenger pigeons fed in such massive flocks that they could devastate local vegetation.
The pigeons were heavily hunted as a cheap food source for humans, resulting in a steep decline in numbers in the 19th century. Deforestation also reduced their food supply and nesting habitat. The last wild passenger pigeon was shot in 1900, while the last captive passenger pigeon named Martha died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.
Passenger pigeons had slate gray and brown plumage with iridescent bronze and green markings on the neck. They had red eyes surrounded by bare red skin. They were highly gregarious birds that lived in colonies stretching over hundreds of square miles.
Key Facts
- Endemic to North America
- Lived in enormous migratory flocks
- Heavily hunted as cheap food source
- Deforestation reduced food supply
- Went completely extinct in early 1900s
- Last captive pigeon died in 1914
- Extremely gregarious colony nesters
Great Auk
The great auk was a large, flightless seabird that inhabited the North Atlantic coasts. It bred in coastal colonies ranging from northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, the British Isles and as far south as Spain.
Great auks fed in the open ocean but came to land to breed on rocky islands and remote cliffs. They were gregarious and bred in dense colonies. Female great auks laid a single egg on the bare rock of their breeding sites.
The great auk was hunted by humans for its down feathers, meat, fat and eggs. This led to a rapid decline in the species through the 16th to 18th centuries. The last colony was on a small rocky island off Iceland called Geirfuglasker. Great auks were taken by visitors in large numbers until just one breeding pair remained in 1844. The last confirmed great auk was killed there in 1844.
The great auk was a bulky bird weighing around 11 pounds, with blackish feathers on the back and white below. It had a large hooked beak. As a flightless bird, its wings were small but its legs and feet were large and webbed for swimming.
Key Facts
- Lived in North Atlantic region
- Bred in dense colonies
- Hunted for down, meat and eggs
- Became extinct in mid-1800s
- Last known colony was in Iceland
- Bulky flightless seabird, black and white
- Webbed feet adapted for swimming
Conclusion
The dodo, passenger pigeon and great auk are among the most famous extinct bird species. Their stories highlight how uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss can lead to the complete extinction of an entire species. Sadly, their fates have been shared by many other bird species over the centuries.
While extinction is a natural process, the extreme loss of biodiversity in recent history is highly alarming. Birds and other animals continue to face threats from human activity. However, increased awareness and conservation efforts across the globe give hope that we can prevent future extinctions.
