One of the greatest extinction events happened in the forests of the Great Lakes region and Eastern North America: the Passenger Pigeon. Kyle Bagnall, the Park Naturalist for the Mackinac State Historic Parks joins me as my guest to talk about this bird, that was once the most populous bird species on the planet and how it came to being extinct in the early 20th Century.
Kyle, a fellow environmental historian, and I discuss the life and history of the Passenger Pigeon, its impact on the environment, and the impact of human relations with the bird. Through loss of habitat, over hunting, and small birth numbers, the population of these great birds declined dramatically until "Martha," the last Passenger Pigeon died in captivity in 1914.
Kyle is the park naturalist for the Mackinac State Historic Parks, which includes Mackinac Island State Park, Fort Mackinac, Colonial Michilimackinac, and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park. Kyle has been in this position since 2021. Prior to this, he was the historian for the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, Michigan for 22 years and also at the Whiting Forest, Dow Gardens, also in Midland.
Kyle mentioned two new books available through the Mackinac State Historic Parks:
Wonders of Mackinac: A Natural History of Mackinac Island https://www.mackinacparks.com/books/wonders-of-mackinac-a-natural-history-of-mackinac-island
Arch Rock: Unsurpassed in Nature’s Handiwork. This one is not currently available online, but can be purchased at the Mackinac State Historic Parks.
Episode Resources:
Mershon, William B. The Passenger Pigeon. New York: The Outing Company, 1907. It is available online through Google Books.
Sharkey, Reginald. The Blue Meteor: The Tragic Story of the Passenger Pigeon. Petoskey, MI: Little Traverse Historical Society, 1997.
Other Recommended Sources:
Greenberg, Joel. A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction. New York: Bloomsberg Publishing, 2014. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/feathered-river-across-the-sky-9781620405352
From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction. (Documentary Film) You can currently stream it free on The Bryan Museum (Galveston, Texas) YouTube page: https://youtu.be/sjwyO5BGluI?si=GxiBx-wOSZ69K8aG
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