The passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in North America, so numerous that they “darkened the sun with their flights.” In 1915, the passenger pigeon officially became extinct as the last bird died in Chicago. How could this have happened? In the early 19th century, massive deforestation and overhunting led to the passenger pigeon’s ultimate demise. Efforts to conserve the species were too little and too late. Read more about it!
Important Dates:
- November 28, 1889: Passenger pigeons, once populous, have now become a “rarity”; however, they are still actively hunted.
- May 4, 1908: An article calls for the protection of passenger pigeons from overhunting, listing facts about the species.
- December 8, 1910: There is only one passenger pigeon left, spending its days in the Zoological garden in Cincinnati.
- April 15, 1911: An article documents the disappearance of the passenger pigeons, and how there is a $400 cash reward for anyone who finds the nest of a passenger pigeon.
- February 1913: The last passenger pigeon in the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens falls ill.
- May 1915: The last passenger pigeon dies in Chicago at the age of twenty-seven years.
- June 1915: There is an unfounded rumor that the US Department of Agriculture is offering a $10,000 reward for the person who finds a passenger pigeon nest.
- June 22, 1916: An article claims that the passenger pigeon is not extinct, and that the bird will once again become numerous.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)