New Living Resources Patch, featuring extinct passenger pigeon, now available!

Wildlife Viewing

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2013-2014 Michigan’s Living Resources Patch, featuring the extinct passenger pigeon, now available!

 

Join us in remembering the passenger pigeon on the 100-year anniversary of its extinction, and show your support for protecting threatened and endangered species.

 

The passenger pigeon is thought to have once been the most abundant land bird in North America, with an estimated population of 3-5 billion. In a short span of only about 40 years, this population dramatically declined, causing the species to become extinct in the wild by 1900. The last known individual died in the Cincinnati Zoo on Sept. 1, 1914.

 

Passenger pigeons were found in tremendous flocks that would darken the sky for hours, sometimes for days, as they passed overhead. This behavior had its advantages for survival, until exploitation for sport and commerce caused numbers to decline. In Michigan passenger pigeons once nested in enormous numbers. However, pigeon shooting matches were very popular. Market hunting accelerated through the 1860s and 1870s – in 1869 over 7 million pigeons were shipped from Van Buren County. Michigan was the first and only state or province to ban killing of passenger pigeons in 1898, but the law was rarely enforced.

 

The passenger pigeon’s story is a reminder why protection of threatened and endangered species is so critical.

 

Today, about 400 species are listed as threatened or endangered in Michigan. They are listed as endangered because they face significant conservation challenges - such as climate change, loss of habitat to invasive exotic species or loss of habitat from poorly planned development. Threatened and endangered species are protected by law; they may not be killed, harassed, handled or possessed without a permit.

 

How You Can Help:

• Support endangered species legislation, like the Endangered Species Act, so other wildlife does not face the same fate as the passenger pigeon. Learn more about the Endangered Species Act at www.fws.gov/endangered.
   
• Provide financial support for threatened and endangered species management efforts in Michigan. The DNR is largely funded through hunting and fishing licenses, not your tax dollars. To support endangered species conservation, purchase a wildlife habitat conservation license plate or make an online donation today. Visit www.michigan.gov/nongamewildlife to learn more.
   
• The last passenger pigeon went extinct 100 years ago. Share the passenger pigeon’s story with others to raise awareness of the importance of protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats. Learn more about the history of the passenger pigeon by visiting the Project Passenger Pigeon website at www.passengerpigeon.org.
   
• Purchase your 2013-2014 passenger pigeon Living Resources patch today to show your support!