Passenger Pigeon

From billions to zero in less than a century/Dinosaurs & Extinct Animals

The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once the most abundant bird in North America, with an estimated population of 3 to 5 billion. A single flock could darken the sky for hours as it passed overhead, sometimes stretching over 500 km long and 1.6 km wide. The bird measured about 40 cm long and weighed roughly 340 grams. Relentless hunting and habitat destruction drove it from billions to extinction in just decades. The last known individual, Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914.