March 22, 1878
On this day in 1878, one of the final mass nestings of the passenger pigeon took place near Petoskey, Michigan. Once numbering in the billions, these birds were a dominant presence in North America. They would darken the skies for hours as their flocks passed overhead. Early explorers and settlers frequently marveled at their abundance. Samuel de Champlain in 1605 described “countless numbers” and Cotton Mather witnessed a flight that took hours to pass. But by the late 19th century, relentless hunting and habitat destruction had pushed them to the brink of extinction.
Petoskey Nesting
The Petoskey nesting of 1878 was one of the last major gatherings of passenger pigeons. For nearly five months, professional hunters slaughtered an estimated 50,000 birds per day. The pigeons were netted, shot, and even suffocated with burning sulfur to be sold in city markets—often for as little as fifty cents a dozen. The surviving adults attempted to nest elsewhere, but they were quickly tracked down and killed before they could raise new young. By the time conservationists sounded the alarm, it was too late.
The passenger pigeon depended on vast hardwood forests for survival, feeding on beechnuts, acorns, chestnuts, seeds, and berries. In the winter, they roosted in the southern forests, returning north in massive colonies to nest in the spring. Their sheer numbers caused tree limbs to snap under their weight, and their evening chatter could be heard for miles. However, as settlers cleared forests for farmland, the pigeons lost their habitat and were forced to feed on crops—leading farmers to view them as pests.
Commercial Hunting and the Decline of the Passenger Pigeon
The real decline, however, came with large-scale commercial hunting. With no laws restricting their capture, the birds were easy targets. Netters used decoys and baited traps, while others simply shot into the densely packed flocks. By 1850, the slaughter was in full force, and by 1860, people began noticing that their numbers were decreasing. Yet the killing continued. The Michigan legislature eventually passed a law in a weak attempt at protection, prohibiting netting within two miles of a nesting site—but enforcement was virtually nonexistent.
By the early 1890s, wild passenger pigeons were nearly impossible to find. In 1897, Michigan lawmakers proposed a ten-year hunting ban, but it was a futile effort—there were too few birds left to save the species. The last confirmed wild passenger pigeon was shot in Ohio in 1900. The species’ final chapter ended on September 1, 1914, when a bird named Martha, the last of her kind, died alone in the Cincinnati Zoo.
The story of the passenger pigeon is one of the most devastating examples of human-driven extinction. A species that had once seemed limitless was wiped out in just a few decades. Their fate serves as a stark warning about the dangers of overexploitation and habitat destruction—reminding us of the importance of conservation before it’s too late.
Passenger Pigeons Historical Marker
Industry and Invention (1875-1915) – Registered in 1957 and erected in 1957 – ID #S138
Located at 3377 1/2 Oden Road, Oden – Lat: 45.42469000 / Long: -84.85174600
At one time Michigan was a favorite nesting ground for the passenger pigeons. Vast quantities of beechnuts and other food attracted them. Each spring immense flocks arrived, literally darkening the skies hours at a time as they flew over. Here at Crooked Lake a nesting in 1878 covered ninety square miles. Millions of birds were killed, packed in barrels, and shipped from Petoskey. Such wanton slaughter helped to make the pigeon extinct by 1914. The conservationist’s voice was heard too late.
At one time North America’s most numerous bird, the passenger pigeon was particularly abundant in the Upper Mississippi Valley. The mature male was about sixteen inches long. Less colorful and big was the female. In 1914 the last known survivor of the species died.
