It was just such an odd name, I had to look it up.

Passenger Pigeon

(Ectopistes migratorius)
Probably Once The Most Numerous Bird on Earth--
It Is Now Extinct

The following photographs are of a specimen kindly made available by the Biology Department at Ball State University.

General Information

The Passenger Pigeon, once probably the most numerous bird on the planet, made its home in the billion or so acres of primary forest that once covered North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Their flocks, a mile wide and up to 300 miles long, were so dense that they darkened the sky for hours and days as the flock passed overhead. Population estimates from the 19th century ranged from 1 billion to close to 4 billion individuals. Total populations may have reached 5 billion individuals and comprised up to 40% of the total number of birds in North America (Schorger 1995). This may be the only species for which the exact time of extinction is known.

The Passenger Pigeon was similar to but larger than the Mourning Dove. It had a slate blue head and rump, slate gray back, and a wine red breast. The colors of the male were brighter than those of the female.

image


.... more at ...

http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/passpigeon.htm


Conservatism is a pale horse, and the riders should be called DEATH.