Passenger Pigeons were one of the most numerous birds on Earth. They were superbly adapted for flying long distances. They had a small head, long tail and long pointed wings, powered by large breast muscles.
At the beginning of the 19th Century, gigantic flocks containing many millions of pigeons flew across large parts of America in mass migrations. By 1914, the species was declared extinct.
Passenger pigeons were easy targets for hunters and hundreds of thousands were killed to satisfy the trade in their meat and feathers. Prizes were offered to hunters who shot the most pigeons and it was not uncommon for those killing around 30,000 birds to claim a prize. Clearance of the great North American hardwood forests also took its toll. Finding new food sources and nesting sites became an increasing challenge for the birds. Gradually, people also began to realise that Passenger Pigeons needed to live in large flocks to thrive and survive.