Extinction of a species is the total loss of all individuals of that species. There are many reasons a species may become extinct including natural disaster, climate change, and human related causes. Other species still living in the world may be classified as endangered, those that are close to extinction throughout all of their range, or those making a comeback after being endangered.
A species’ habitat is vital to its existence and includes the environment it lives in and all of its components: shelter, food, water, and more. A species that is moving toward extinction needs its habitat protected and preserved if the population is to survive. How many species are endangered is a hard question to answer because we have not identified all of the species in the world. This blog will take a look at a few species that became extinct in the last century.
The heath hen, Tympanuchus cupido cupido, is an extinct sub-species of the greater prairie chicken. These large birds from the grouse family lived along the east coast of North America from New Hampshire to northern Virginia in forests dominated by pine, grasses, and low shrubs. They were a popular meal for settlers. Poaching and overhunting reduced their numbers drastically, leaving only a small existing population on Martha’s Vineyard by 1870. Further losses resulted from predation by hawks and feral cats. The practice of not of not allowing natural fires to burn resulted in the accumulation of excessive undergrowth, and a 1916 wildfire decimated most of the remaining population. The last few birds died in 1932.
The Carolina parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis, was one of only three parrots native to the United States. They liked old growth forest and swamp habitat along major rivers east of the Rocky Mountains. Parakeets nested in hollow trees and lived in large, noisy flocks of several hundred birds. Clearing forests and draining wetlands for agriculture and development reduced populations as habitat was removed. The last birds disappeared in the early 1900s, possibly from poultry disease.
Passenger pigeons, Ectopistes migratorius, lived in large flocks east of the rocky Mountains in North America and were especially abundant in the Great Lakes area. At one time, their estimated population was five billion. They were fast flyers, able to reach 60 mph and fed on mast, fruits, and invertebrates. Living in large flocks made them easy to hunt, and pigeon meat was good eating. Habitat loss combined with hunting reduced populations slowly in the early 1800s and quickly toward the end of that era. The last bird died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Passenger pigeons played a significant role the development of eastern North American forests. Large flocks roosted together during thunderstorms and at night. Hundreds of birds could be found in one tree, where smaller branches, especially in the forest canopy, would easily snap from the birds’ combined weight. This opened up large holes in the canopy, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor and promote the growth of sun-loving species such as chestnut, pine, hemlock, and oak species. As flocks migrated from one area to another, forest biodiversity was positively impacted.
Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum images by DonArnold, Feb 2024: Carolina parakeet, heath hen, passenger pigeons female & male
In the next blog, we will learn about endangered species. Many nature museums have information and extinct species to learn from. All of the above species, and more, are on display at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum, so please stop by, or visit a local nature museum where you live.
