passenger pigeon

noun

1. an extinct pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, once found in great numbers in North America, noted for its sustained migratory flights.

passenger pigeon

noun

1. a gregarious North American pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius: became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of passenger pigeon¹

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Despite how resilient sharks may seem, though, they may not be able to dodge the fate of the dodo or the passenger pigeon.

From Salon

In the 1800s, the sky would routinely grow dark when large numbers of the now-extinct passenger pigeon passed through this popular roosting area in northwestern, Pennsylvania.

From National Geographic

The passenger pigeon, once the most abundant bird in North America—numbering in the billions—disappeared from the skies in just a few decades because so many people hunted them for sport.

From National Geographic Kids

The most vivid accounts of squirrel irruptions date to a time when old growth forests had yet to be logged, when bison roamed the West and flocks of passenger pigeons darkened the skies.

From Washington Post

In moving those acorns, jays, certain mammals and probably the extinct passenger pigeon helped oaks regain their northern range after the glaciers of the last ice age displaced them.

From Seattle Times