Birds have always held a special place in the human imagination, captivating us with their vivid colors, melodious songs, and unique behaviors. Sadly, a number of these magnificent creatures are no longer with us, having fallen victim to various factors such as habitat destruction, climate change, and human activities. In this article, we will delve deeper into the mesmerizing world of beautiful extinct birds, while also reflecting on the importance of conservation to prevent further losses.
1. Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)
The passenger pigeon was a species of bird that once inhabited the deciduous forests of eastern North America. It was known for its spectacular migrations, which involved millions or even billions of individuals flying together in dense flocks. The passenger pigeon had a gray body, a long tail, and iridescent feathers on its neck. The male was slightly larger and more colorful than the female.
The passenger pigeon fed mainly on nuts, fruits, and seeds, and sometimes on insects and worms. It nested in large colonies, where it laid one white egg per pair. The young were fed by both parents with a substance called pigeon milk, which was produced in their crops. The passenger pigeon had few natural predators but was hunted extensively by humans for food, sport, and to protect crops.
The passenger pigeon went extinct in the early 20th century due to a combination of overhunting and habitat loss. The commercialization of pigeon meat, facilitated by the expansion of railroads, led to the slaughter of millions of birds every year. The deforestation of their breeding and feeding grounds also reduced their food sources and nesting sites. The passenger pigeon's social behavior and low reproductive rate made it vulnerable to population collapse. The last wild passenger pigeon was shot in 1900, and the last captive one, named Martha, died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo.
2. Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)
The ivory-billed woodpecker is a critically endangered bird that is native to the forests of the Southern United States and Cuba. It is one of the largest woodpeckers in the world, with a distinctive ivory-colored bill and a red crest in males. The bird feeds mainly on wood-boring beetle larvae, which it extracts by peeling off bark from dead trees. The ivory-billed woodpecker has suffered from habitat loss and hunting, and its current status is uncertain.
The last confirmed sighting of the bird in the United States was in 1944, and in Cuba in 1987. However, there have been several reports of possible sightings and evidence of the bird's presence since then, especially in Louisiana and Arkansas. In 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to declare the species extinct, but postponed the decision after receiving public comments and new information. The ivory-billed woodpecker is a symbol of conservation and cultural significance for many people, and efforts to find and protect the bird continue.
3. Dodo (Raphus cucullatus)
The dodo was a flightless bird that lived on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It belonged to the family Columbidae, which includes pigeons and doves. It was closely related to another extinct bird, the Rodrigues solitaire, and both were part of the subfamily Raphinae. The dodo was about one meter tall and weighed between 10 and 18 kilograms. It had brownish-gray feathers, yellow feet, a tuft of tail feathers, and a large beak that was black, yellow, and green. It fed on fruits and seeds and used gizzard stones to help digest its food. It probably laid one egg at a time in a nest on the ground.
The dodo was first encountered by European sailors in the late 16th century. They hunted the bird for food and sport and introduced animals such as pigs, dogs, cats, rats, and monkeys that preyed on the dodo and its eggs. The dodo's habitat was also destroyed by deforestation and fire. The last confirmed sighting of a dodo was in 1662, although there may have been unrecorded sightings until the late 17th century. The dodo became extinct within less than a century of its discovery and was one of the first documented cases of human-caused extinction of an animal species.
4. Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis)
The Carolina Parakeet was a small green neotropical parrot with a bright yellow head, reddish-orange face, and pale beak that was native to the eastern, midwest, and plains states of the United States. It was the only indigenous parrot within its range, as well as one of only three parrot species native to the United States. It was also the last parrot type to have lived before the European conquest of the eastern United States. It inhabited old woods along rivers, where it fed on fruits, seeds, and buds.
The Carolina Parakeet had two subspecies: C. c. carolinensis and C. c. ludovicianus, which differed slightly in size and coloration. The Carolina Parakeet went extinct in the early 20th century due to overhunting, habitat loss, and disease. The western subspecies C. c. ludovicianus went extinct around 1914, while the eastern subspecies C. c. carolinensis went extinct either in the late 1930s or mid-1940s. The last known specimen, a male named Incas, died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918. The Carolina Parakeet is now considered one of the most iconic examples of human-caused extinction of a bird species.
5. New Zealand Quail (Coturnix novaezelandiae)
The New Zealand quail, also known as koreke in Māori, was a small ground-dwelling bird that belonged to the pheasant and quail family. It was endemic to New Zealand and was the only native representative of its family. It was described by Sir Joseph Banks in 1769 when he visited New Zealand on James Cook's first voyage. The New Zealand quail had a brown plumage with black-and-white barring on the upperparts and buff underparts with variable black barring. The male and female were similar in appearance, but the female was slightly larger and lighter.
The New Zealand quail inhabited lowland grasslands and shrublands, where it lived in extended family groups called coveys. It fed on seeds, insects, and other invertebrates. The New Zealand quail was hunted by Māori for food and by European settlers for sport. It also faced competition and predation from introduced mammals, such as rats, cats, and dogs. It suffered from habitat loss due to agricultural conversion of the grasslands. It was last recorded in 1875 and is now considered extinct.
6. Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)
The great auk was an extinct bird that belonged to the family Alcidae, which includes puffins, razorbills, and murres. It was native to the North Atlantic, where it bred on rocky islands and hunted fish and crustaceans underwater. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, and it was not closely related to the penguins, which were named after it by European sailors. The great auk was about 75 cm (30 inches) tall and weighed about 5 kg (11 pounds). It had black and white plumage, a large head, a hooked beak, and short wings that were adapted for swimming. It was flightless and clumsy on land, but agile and fast in the water.
The great auk was once widespread and abundant, with a population estimated at millions. However, it suffered from overexploitation by humans, who hunted it for food, bait, feathers, and oil. It also faced habitat loss due to climate change and volcanic eruptions. The last confirmed pair of great auks was killed by fishermen on July 3, 1844, at Eldey Island, Iceland. The great auk is now considered one of the most famous examples of human-caused extinction.
7. Mauritius Blue Pigeon (Alectroenas nitidissima)
The Mauritius Blue Pigeon was a species of blue pigeon that lived only on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It became extinct in the 1830s due to habitat loss and hunting. It was one of the five species of blue pigeons in the genus Alectroenas, and the type species of the genus. It had a distinctive appearance, with white feathers around the head, neck, and breast, dark blue feathers on the body, red feathers on the tail, and the bare skin of the head. The combination of these colors reminded some observers of the Dutch flag, which gave rise to its French name, Pigeon Hollandais. It was about 30 cm long and had a robust body. It fed on fruits, nuts, and molluscs, and was once widespread in the forests of Mauritius.
The first record of the species is from two sketches made by a Dutch artist in 1601-1603. Several descriptions and illustrations were made in the 18th and 19th centuries, but few accounts describe its behavior in the wild. Only three stuffed specimens are known to exist today, one in Scotland and two in France. The Mauritius Blue Pigeon is an example of the rich biodiversity that was lost due to human activities on Mauritius and other islands in the Mascarene archipelago.
8. Bachman's Warbler (Vermivora bachmanii)
Bachman's warbler was a small, migratory songbird that belonged to the genus Vermivora, along with the blue-winged and golden-winged warblers. It was first described by John James Audubon in 1833, based on specimens collected by his friend John Bachman in South Carolina. The warbler had a distinctive plumage, with a yellow forehead, throat, and belly, and black crown and chest in males, and gray crown and breast in females.
The warbler bred in swampy blackberry and cane thickets of the Southeastern and Midwestern United States and wintered in Cuba. It fed mainly on insects. Bachman's warbler was listed as critically endangered by the IUCN but is now presumed to be extinct. The last confirmed sightings were in the 1980s, and there have been no widely accepted reports since then. The main causes of its extinction were habitat loss, both in its breeding and wintering grounds, as well as collection for museum displays and other human activities.
9. Laysan Rail (Porzana palmeri)
The Laysan rail, also known as the Laysan crake, was a small, flightless bird that lived only on the island of Laysan in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It belonged to the family Rallidae, which includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. The Laysan rail had a brown upper body, a white belly, black-and-white barred flanks, and a reddish bill and legs. It was about 15 cm long, with very short wings and tail. It fed on insects, seeds, and other plant matter, and nested in grass tussocks and thickets. The Laysan rail was named after Henry Palmer, who collected specimens for Walter Rothschild in the late 19th century.
The Laysan rail became extinct in the 1940s due to human activities that destroyed its habitat and introduced predators. In the early 20th century, guano miners brought rabbits and guinea pigs to Laysan, which ate all the vegetation and left the island barren. The Laysan rail lost its food source and shelter and became vulnerable to predation by rats and cats. Some Laysan rails were translocated to other islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, but they did not survive there either. The last confirmed sighting of the Laysan rail was on Eastern Island in the Midway Atoll in 1944, during World War II.
10. Seychelles Parakeet (Psittacula wardii)
The Seychelles Parakeet was an extinct bird that belonged to the parrot family. It was endemic to the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean, where it inhabited native forests and cultivated areas. It was mainly green, with a red beak and a red patch on its wing. The male had a black stripe on his cheek, while the female lacked this feature. It was closely related to the Alexandrine Parakeet of Asia, and some researchers have suggested that it should be placed in the genus Palaeornis instead of Psittacula.
The Seychelles Parakeet was first recorded in 1811 and was common at that time. However, it declined rapidly due to habitat loss and human persecution, as it was considered a pest by farmers and coconut plantation owners who shot it to protect their crops. The last confirmed specimen was killed in 1893, and no birds could be found by 1906. Only ten skin specimens and one painting from life remain as evidence of this species.
Conclusion
The stories of these beautiful extinct birds serve as poignant reminders of the impermanence of life on Earth and the significant impact that human actions can have on our natural world. While these species have left us, their legacies endure, inspiring conservation efforts aimed at protecting the rich diversity of life that still graces our planet. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that future generations can continue to admire and appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the birds that continue to soar in our skies. The extinction of these species is a solemn reminder that we must protect and preserve the incredible biodiversity that surrounds us.
Watch more video: 10 Beautiful Extinct Birds
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