The passenger pigeon went extinct because of a one-two punch: massive habitat loss and relentless hunting by humans. It was once the most abundant bird in North America, but by 1914 the last known individual, Martha, had died in captivity.

What happened

Passenger pigeons used to travel in enormous flocks and relied on vast forest habitats to nest and feed. As forests were cut down and commercial hunters killed birds on a huge scale, their numbers collapsed so fast that the species could not recover.

Why extinction happened

  • Habitat loss: Large areas of forest were cleared for farming and development, shrinking the places they needed to survive.
  • Overhunting: Market hunters killed pigeons for food and profit, using nets, guns, and other methods.
  • Social behavior: Because they depended on huge flocks, once their numbers dropped too low, reproduction and survival became much harder.

Last known bird

The last known passenger pigeon was Martha, who died at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914. Her death is widely treated as the final end of the species.

Why it matters

The passenger pigeon became a major symbol of human-caused extinction and helped shape modern conservation thinking.

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