100 Years Ago Today
Today marks a sad centennial: the 100th anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), a species once so abundant that their flocks blacked out the skies of North America.
By John R. Platt
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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Today marks a sad centennial: the 100th anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), a species once so abundant that their flocks blacked out the skies of North America. Today the only passenger pigeons that remain are a handful of preserved specimens gathering dust in museum drawers and exhibits. These stuffed and mounted dead birds serve as a stark reminder, telling us that we did this, and yes, we'll undoubtedly do it again.
The passenger pigeon: Gone, but not forgotten.
Photo: Tim Lenz via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license
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