Gone Forever: Extinct Birds of North America
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There are around 10,000 species of bird on planet Earth and as many as 900 of these have been recorded in North America. However, over the years, several species have sadly been lost forever due to extinction.
Extinct North American Birds
According to the Audubon Society, as of 2021, as many as 159 species of bird are believed to have gone extinct. Many of these were once found in North America. Let’s take a look back at some of our lost species.
1. Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)
In the 1800s, there were an estimated 3 billion passenger pigeons left in the world; that was around a third of all avian species at the time! However, less than a century later, in 1914, the very last known passenger pigeon died. Her name was Martha and she had, until her death, resided at the Cincinnati Zoo.
But even before this, the species was at risk and that was largely down to hunting. Native Americans would hunt passenger pigeons for food, and this only got worse once European settlers arrived in North America. On top of this, things like deforestation and a cull in breeding populations resulted in their demise.
With a similar appearance to doves, these fruit and insect-eating birds are one of the most unbelievable stories of extinction.
2. Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis)
Once native to the eastern parts of the United States, the Carolina parakeet was a species of parrot that finally went extinct in 1918 after the species battled for survival. These brightly colored birds moved in noisy flocks and fed on plants and fruits.
By the middle of the 19th century, much of the habitat of these birds had been lost due to deforestation by European settlers. Sadly, the Carolina parakeet was the only parrot species native to the United States, and it’s now lost.
One of the other reasons that these birds were wiped out was due to killings since humans regarded them as pests that feed on fruit crops. But they’re much missed with their green plumage, and it would have been wonderful to have witnessed their flocks that numbered up to 300 individuals.
3. Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)
The great auk was a very impressive-looking flightless bird that grew to 2 feet (61 cm) in height. It was actually this species for which the word penguin was coined and it was found all along the northwestern coast of North America.
However, over the years, numbers dwindled, and eventually, only one colony remained on an island off the coast of Newfoundland. In 1844, there was one breeding pair left, but they were sadly killed near the coast of Iceland by fishermen.
These fish-eating birds were equipped with large, grooved beaks which were ideal for catching their prey. Unfortunately, they were seen as a tasty meal by humans, which ultimately led to their extinction.
4. Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius)
The Labrador duck, sometimes called the pied duck, was a relative of eiders, but no individuals have been seen for nearly 150 years. The last known Labrador duck was spotted in 1875.
These were seabirds that were found all over the east coast of the United States and up into Canada where they would feed primarily on crustaceans and mollusks. They had specialized bills that scientists believe were used to forage for shellfish in the sediment.
However, their eggs and meat were highly prized by humans, who eventually hunted them to extinction. Because of the limited habitat of the pied duck, hunting quickly caused populations to dwindle.
5. Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)
While the last reported sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker was way back in 1944, many people still claim to see these birds today in the southeastern parts of the US.
When they were alive, these were the largest of all woodpecker species in the United States and often grew to more than 20 inches (51 cm). Males had a distinct red plume at the back of the head, while the females were just black and white.
It was due to deforestation and habitat loss that these beautiful birds became extinct. While there have been reports of sightings, the last credible one was in 2005, and this is believed to have been the last of the ivory-billed woodpeckers.
6. Heath Hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido)
Related to turkeys and quails, the heath hen was a beautiful-looking type of prairie chicken with a bright yellow marking on the neck and around the eyes. Seen only in males, these yellow markings were found on an inflatable neck sack, used in mating displays.
For many years, there were billions of heath hens found across the plains along the east coast of North America. However, once the Europeans settled here, these birds were quickly driven to extinction.
As early as the late 1700s, settlers would hunt heath hens for their tasty meat. While a sanctuary for the birds was created in the early 1900s, the last known specimen died in 1932. But there may still be hope in the form of the Revive and Restore project, which aims to bring the heath hen back from extinction.
7. Bachman’s Warbler (Vermivora bachmanii)
Backman’s warbler was a migratory bird species that was common in the Midwestern and southeastern portions of the United States.
These birds were found in swamps and lowland forests, and it’s thought that low-level logging in the 1800s caused enough habitat destruction to begin their demise. With brown plumage and yellow markings, they certainly were distinct-looking birds, and their colors would change with the seasons.
It’s thought that these birds, that overwintered in Cuba, were never overly common. However, sightings became rarer and rarer. There was one sighting in 1988 that was somewhat accepted by 2021, the US Fish and Wildlife Service recommended the bird be declared extinct.
8. Dusky Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens)
One of the more recently extinct birds of North America is the dusky seaside sparrow which was officially declared extinct in 1987. The main problem for these birds was that they had a very limited range in the southeast, primarily in Florida.
A small species, dusky seaside sparrows were non-migratory birds with black feathers flecked with white markings.
It’s thought that numbers began to decline in the 1940s and 1950s when the use of chemical pesticides came strongly into use. Unfortunately, the location of the Kennedy Space Center was right in the middle of their limited habitat, and local construction and pollution resulted in ultimate habitat loss that the birds simply couldn’t survive.
9. Imperial Woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis)
The imperial woodpecker has not yet been officially declared extinct and that’s because we aren’t really sure whether or not it still exists.
On the IUCN Red List, the imperial woodpecker is listed as critically endangered (possibly extinct), and the last recorded sighting was way back in 1956. It’s thought that logging resulted in habitat loss and fragmentation, but hunting could also have been responsible for their decline.
These woodpeckers grow to around 23 inches (60 cm) and have mainly black plumage, but the males also have a red crest on the head. Owing to their large size, if they’re still in existence, they would be the largest of all North American woodpeckers.
10. Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis)
The Eskimo curlew is another bird that is only listed as critically endangered. However, it has not been sighted for well over 50 years, so authorities are considering whether the time has come to admit its extinction.
Once one of the most common shorebirds in North America, the Eskimo curlew is one of 8 curlew species and grows to around 12 inches (30 cm). Brown in color with long, curved bills and lengthy legs, they are certainly an easily distinguishable species.
For the most part, these birds were found in Canada and Alaska but were known to migrate much further south. The most likely cause of their decline was down to hunting, and it’s thought that at the end of the 19th century, as many as 2 million individuals were killed.
