The Last Passenger Pigeon

September 1, 1914 - Martha, the last of the passenger pigeons was found dead on this day in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. She had lived for 29 years.

At the height of its population, the passenger pigeon may have been one of the most prolific birds on the planet, numbering between 3 to 5 billion. They migrated in massive flocks that were so dense they blackened the sky. In 1866 there’s an account of a flock flying over Ontario that took 14 hours to pass overhead. It was estimated at over 300 miles in length with over 3 billion birds.

Many factors contributed to the extinction of the species. Overhunting was probably the biggest. After her death, Martha was taxidermied and placed on display in the Smithsonian Institute where she continues to raise awareness about the risk and ecological impact of extinction.

It is believed passenger pigeons got their name from the French word passager, meaning “passing by.”