What species of North American pigeon is extinct?

Passenger Pigeons (scientific name Ectopistes migratorius) once flew in flocks of thousands. About two to three billion Passenger Pigeons ranged across eastern North America; they may have been the most numerous bird species in history. But they were hunted to extinction for meat and by farmers who were protecting their crops from the huge ravenous flocks and people destroyed their main food source! The last Passenger Pigeon died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden in September 1914.

Book recommendation: A great book about Passenger Pigeons is: Grandmother's Pigeon by Louise Erdrich – An eccentric grandmother leaves behind three eggs that hatch into Passenger Pigeons. Blends fantasy and science.

Learn more about Passenger Pigeons 

Why do some people destroy bird homes or hurt birds?

Why do some people destroy bird homes or hurt birds?

People often destroy bird habitat (including their homes) without knowing that they are doing so.  Here are some ways in which humans destroy bird habitat or put birds in danger:

• Habitat loss because of growing cities, suburbs, and development.
• When birds are migrating long distances, sometimes they stop in one place that has just the right food for them – if people have built houses or golf courses on this ‘stop-over’ birds don’t have a place to re-fuel.
• Windows on people’s houses or buildings confuse birds and millions crash into them and die each year. Learn how to prevent window crashes.
• At night, lights in cities attract migrating birds, confuse them, and cause birds to crash
• Sometimes forests are divided up and some birds need bigger patches of woods to nest
• People let cats outside and they kill millions of birds (especially nesting birds)
• People release non-native birds and they push out native species. Learn about European Starlings
• People catch wild birds to sell
• Sometimes people destroy food sources
• Persecution (killing birds for feathers, plumes, etc..)
• Climate change
• Lead poisoning, mercury poisoning

What are pigeons' predators?

Humans, cats, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, Red-tailed and Cooper's Hawks.