[Nhcoll-l] 2014 marks centenary of extinction of the PassengerPigeon

Mon Dec 2 10:26:19 EST 2013

I think those are bison, not pigeons.
Cheers,
Art Harris

From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Ellen Paul
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2013 6:54 AM
To: mprondzinski at fairbanksmuseum.org; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] 2014 marks centenary of extinction of the PassengerPigeon

There are. Google image.

http://www.audublog.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/passenger_pigeon_slaughter.png

[cid:image001.png at 01CEEF38.2CE38B80]

I've seen others, including one of barrels of pigeons being loaded onto a train. Will try to find.

Ellen

Ellen Paul

Executive Director

The Ornithological Council

Email: ellen.paul at verizon.net<mailto:ellen.paul at verizon.net>

"Providing Scientific Information about Birds"<http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET>

http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET"<http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET>
On 12/2/13, 8:41 AM, Mary Beth Prondzinski wrote:
And why are there no photos of this pillage?!  None...

Mary Beth Prondzinski
Director of Collections
Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium
1302 Main Street
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802) 748-2372 x110
mprondzinski at fairbanksmuseum.org<mailto:mprondzinski at fairbanksmuseum.org>

http://fairbanksmuseum.org/
http://vermonttv.net/

________________________________
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Ellen Paul
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 6:29 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] 2014 marks centenary of extinction of the PassengerPigeon
The timing of the events has to be taken into consideration. Audubon wrote that in 1813. A population that vast could take a fair amount of hunting pressure. However, the huge slaughters by market hunters continued into the 1850s and 1860s, facilitated by rail access to the markets.

>From David Blockstein's species account in the Birds of North America:

 "As settlement advanced, as railroads were built, spanning the continent, as telegraph lines followed them, as markets developed for the birds, an army of people, hunters, settlers, netters and Indians, found in the pigeons a considerable part of their means of subsistence, and the birds were constantly pursued and killed whenever they appeared,at all seasons of the year " (Forbush<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib048> 1927

: 67).

In 1842, 3,000 live pigeons were transported by rail from Michigan to Boston. In 1851, an estimated 1,800,000 pigeons were sent to New York City from a nesting in n. New York (Schorger 1955: 145). By the time the Civil War ended, most of the U.S. east of the Mississippi was covered by railroad. Only a handful of nesting colonies was too far from rail or ship for market exploitation. Even a nesting in 1881 in Oklahoma, 176 km from the railroad, was pillaged by commercial trappers (Anon. 1881, Judy 1881).<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib048>

Often hundreds of thousands of adults and squabs were shipped from a single nesting. Large numbers of birds were destroyed by locals or otherwise killed but not transported. A million birds could be lost at a single nesting. Yet even these large numbers of birds killed were probably not sufficient to cause the precipitous decline in the population. Overhunting did not exterminate the Passenger Pigeon as is commonly believed. Rather, the disturbance of the nesting colonies led the birds to abandon the nestings prematurely (Blockstein and Tordoff 1985). This, coupled with slaughter of nestlings as well as adults, largely eliminated replacement of the population.<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib076>
The simultaneous destruction of the forests of the East obviously played a big role.

Again, from Blockstein:

<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib020>

Deforestation was also a major factor in the decline because it reduced the area available to the pigeons and thus reduced the opportunities for nesting and roosting colonies. Being nomadic, Passenger Pigeons needed enormous areas to find some conditions suitable for nesting (Askins 2000). Because nesting colonies formed only where there was sufficient mast, the reduction in the forest meant that in some years there was no nesting at all. Forbush (1927: 66) agreed that the decrease "was due in part to the destruction of the forests, particularly the beech woods. . . ." Another nineteenth-century technology, the portable saw mill introduced in 1870s, sped the destruction of what had once been a completely forested landscape. By 1880, about 80% of the original forest of New England had been cleared (Irland 1982). Deforestation in the major nesting area of north-central Pennsylvania began in 1872, but did not reach full speed until 1892 (French 1919: 110). Michigan was still well wooded in 1883 (Rand McNally and Co. 1883), although it was being logged rapidly, particularly for its pines, which would have had less impact on the Passenger Pigeon than logging of deciduous trees.<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib020>

Deforestation, which occurred from east to west, reduced the available habitat. In the early eighteenth century, Wilson (1812: 109) noted that although the species was sometimes very numerous in the Atlantic states, it never appeared in "such unparalleled multitudes" of "congregated millions" as in the "western forests" of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The last recorded mass nesting in Massachusetts was in 1850s (Forbush 1927), in New York in the 1870s. From 1870 on, almost all of the nesting colonies recorded were in the forested Alleghenies of n. Pennsylvania and the Great Lake states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and, to a lesser extent, Minnesota (Mershon 1907). These were the areas where intact original forest remained (Williams 1989). In 1892, Bendire (1892: 132-133) wrote, "breeding range . . . principally in thinly settled and wooded region along our northern border . . . as well as . . . Canada, and north at least to Hudson Bay. Isolated and scattering pairs probably still breed in New England States, northern New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and a few other localities further south, but the enormous breeding colonies . . . are . . . things of the past, probably never to be seen again. In fact, the extermination . . . has progressed so rapidly during the last twenty years that it now looks as if their total extermination might be accomplished in the present century."<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib104>

Schorger (1955) and Blockstein and Tordoff (1985) argued that the extent of mast-bearing forest in the 1870s and 1880s was sufficient to support the population. However it apparently was not enough to allow nesting colonies every year. After another 3 decades, there was essentially no sufficient forest left. But the pigeons were gone before the last deciduous forests. "The destruction of the forest was not yet complete; for, although great tracts of land were cleared, there remained and still remain vast regions more or less covered by coppice growth sufficient to furnish hosts of pigeons with food, and the cultivation of land and the raising of grain provided new sources of food supply. Therefore, while the reduction of the forest area in the east was a factor in the diminution of the pigeons, we cannot attribute their extermination to the destruction of the forest" (Forbush 1927: 66).<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib013>
 <http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib048>

Once the population reached a level of thousands, rather than billions, the species was unable to recover. Several factors may have been involved. Persecution continued, nearly to the end. In spring 1883, all of the young were reportedly taken. One man was said to have taken 60,000 and several others 10,000 young each (E. S. Bond in Anon. 1883). Over 5,000 birds were reportedly killed at a roost in Missouri the following winter (Anon. 1884). Over 1,000 carcasses were shipped to Boston in 1891 (Editor 1891 inSchorger 1955: 218). Market-hunting continued until at least 1893, and shooting was reported to the end.<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib048>

Blockstein and Tordoff (1985) hypothesized that the species slowly faded away throughout its last decade. By 1892, "the majority [were] no longer breeding in colonies, but scattering around the country and breeding in isolated pairs" (Bendire 1892: 133). Since the species lacked the numbers for predator satiation through mass nesting that had been responsible for its success and had no antipredator adaptations for nesting, such as nest concealment, and since it laid only a single egg, nest success must have been insufficient to maintain the population.<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib114>

In contrast, Bucher (1992: 25) argued that the decline in numbers circumvented the social facilitation necessary for the flocks to find enough mast for a successful nesting. In his view, once a population went below a minimum viable size, "the remaining individuals were unable to find food patches at [an] adequate rate." He felt it "likely that a whole flock may have 'missed' good spots when moving north and starved or at least failed to produce enough offspring to compensate for adult mortality." However, a smaller flock would need less food to sustain itself, and it seems likely that a pair could have found enough food (mast and crops) to eat and probably even to breed.<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib013>

Both arguments are based on the inability of a small population to maintain itself after numbers were insufficient to achieve the evolved strategy essential to the success of the species-predator satiation (Blockstein and Tordoff 1985) or social facilitation of foraging (Bucher 1992). The unknowable true cause may have had elements of each. However, it is known that the pigeons continued to nest in colonies, even as late as 1885-1887 (Schorger 1955: 216). After that, there was at least some success in nesting in very small groups or even lone pairs (as always had been the case with a minuscule proportion of the population). The last birds collected in 1899 in Wisconsin and in 1900 in Ohio were both immatures.<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib026>
 <http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib114>

<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib114>

Ellen Paul<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib114>

Executive Director<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib114>

The Ornithological Council<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib114>

Email: ellen.paul at verizon.net<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/611/articles/species/611/biblio/bib114>

"Providing Scientific Information about Birds"<mailto:ellen.paul at verizon.net>

http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET"
On 11/26/13, 6:11 PM, Rowe, Timothy B wrote:
I'm quite glad to see that you have brought this portentous anniversary brought into the spotlight.

But what exactly do you mean by "human persecution"?

Audubon himself reported that the Passenger pigeon was breeding at a pace that mitigated human hunting pressures.  However, he warned that cutting the old growth forests was something that could pressure them into extinction.  There is ample literature to show that, state-by-state, as the portable saw mills took down the old forests, loss of adequate food and breeding environment was the proximate and immediate cause of extinction, not over-hunting.

But take comfort in the fact that even great luminaries like Jared Diamond and E. O. Wilson fell into the same trap - implying that human overkill was the source.

Here is why it is important to get this diagnosis correct: a hunting ban would not have saved the Passenger pigeon, but a logging ban just might have.

The causes of extinction are subtle - all the more reason to use this anniversary to promote research on this most critical topic.

Tim

Timothy Rowe
Director, Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory
The University of Texas at Austin<http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET>

 <http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET>

<http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET>
________________________________
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Steve Sullivan <ssullivan at naturemuseum.org>
Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 11:44 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] 2014 marks centenary of extinction of the Passenger Pigeon <http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET>
 <mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
This month many of our thoughts are turning towards turkeys but nearly a century ago we were thinking about another bird-the Passenger Pigeon.  2014 is the centenary of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon, a species that once numbered in the billions; flocks would darken the sky as they passed; 1 in 4 birds on the continent were Passenger Pigeons.  50 years of human persecution directly resulted in their extinction.  This astonishing loss stimulated the passage of several important wildlife protection laws including the migratory bird treaty act and the Lacy act.<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Project Passenger Pigeon is a movement to commemorate this anniversary and use it not only as an opportunity to familiarize people with this remarkable species, but also to raise awareness of current issues related to human-caused extinction, explore connections between humans and the natural world, and inspire people to become more involved in building a sustainable relationship with other species.<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
We hope that you and your institution will join over 170 institutions throughout the world to commemorate this anniversary and use it to promote the conservation issues that are most relevant to your region.  Resources of all kinds-a book, exhibit panels, classroom lessons, a speaker's bureau, and more are available at http://passengerpigeon.org/ .   Attached is a letter that outlines these in more detail or just visit the website.<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Yours, <http://passengerpigeon.org/>
Steve<http://passengerpigeon.org/>
Steven M. Sullivan  |  Senior Curator of Urban Ecology<http://passengerpigeon.org/>
The Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum<http://passengerpigeon.org/>
 <http://passengerpigeon.org/>
Museum|2430 North Cannon Drive|Chicago Illinois 60614|naturemuseum.org<http://passengerpigeon.org/>
Collections|4001 North Ravenswood Ave.|Chicago Illinois 60613|projectsquirrel.org<http://www.naturemuseum.org/>
P 708-937-6253 | F 773-755-5199 | ssullivan at naturemuseum.org<http://projectsquirrel.org/>
 <ssullivan at naturemuseum.org>
A century of memories and lessons from the Passenger Pigeon at passengerpigeon.org<ssullivan at naturemuseum.org>
 <http://passengerpigeon.org/>
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