This composite description cited accounts of these birds in two pre-Linnean books. Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus coined the binomial name Columba macroura for both the mourning dove and the passenger pigeon in the 1758 edition of his work Systema Naturae (the starting point of biological nomenclature), wherein he appears to have considered the two identical. 5.5 Potential resurrection of the speciesĮarliest published illustration of the species (a male), Mark Catesby, 1731.The eradication of the species is a notable example of anthropogenic extinction. Martha, thought to be the last passenger pigeon, died on September 1, 1914, at the Cincinnati Zoo. The last captive birds were divided in three groups around the turn of the 20th century, some of which were photographed alive. The last confirmed wild bird is thought to have been shot in 1901. A slow decline between about 18 was followed by a rapid decline between 18. There were several other factors contributing to the decline and subsequent extinction of the species, including shrinking of the large breeding populations necessary for preservation of the species and widespread deforestation, which destroyed its habitat. Pigeon meat was commercialized as cheap food, resulting in hunting on a massive scale for many decades. Passenger pigeons were hunted by Native Americans, but hunting intensified after the arrival of Europeans, particularly in the 19th century. It practiced communal roosting and communal breeding, and its extreme gregariousness may be linked with searching for food and predator satiation. The bird fed mainly on mast, and also fruits and invertebrates. A very fast flyer, the passenger pigeon could reach a speed of Script error: No such module "convert". The pigeon migrated in enormous flocks, constantly searching for food, shelter, and breeding grounds, and was once the most abundant bird in North America, numbering around 3 billion, and possibly up to 5 billion. It mainly inhabited the deciduous forests of eastern North America and was also recorded elsewhere, but bred primarily around the Great Lakes. The juvenile was similar to the female, but without iridescence. The female was Script error: No such module "convert"., and was duller and browner than the male overall. in length, mainly gray on the upperparts, lighter on the underparts, with iridescent bronze feathers on the neck, and black spots on the wings. The male was Script error: No such module "convert". The passenger pigeon was sexually dimorphic in size and coloration. The morphologically similar mourning dove ( Zenaida macroura) was long thought to be its closest relative, and the two were at times confused, but genetic analysis has shown that the genus Patagioenas is more closely related to it than the Zenaida doves. The scientific name also refers to its migratory characteristics. Its common name is derived from the French word passager, meaning "passing by", due to the migratory habits of the species. The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon ( Ectopistes migratorius) is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to North America. Script error: No such module "Taxonbar/candidate". Script error: No such module "InfoboxImage".ĭistribution map, with former range in orange and breeding zone in red
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