Passenger Pigeon and Burj Khalifa

Passenger Pigeon : Extinct in 1914 

Burj Khalifa : 828m, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

 

 

 

Passenger Pigeon and Burj Khalifa_76x57cm_watercolor on paper_2014

 

 

The passenger pigeon used to migrate between North America and Europe. Its name means “passing by”, and it was given such name due to its migratory nature.  An extinct species of pigeon, the passenger pigeon was once the most numerous bird on earth. According to one record, the sky would darken for three days whenever the pigeon migrated in enormous flocks. Alas, the passenger pigeon’s meat was delicious and its feathers were used for many purposes, so it was hunted on a massive scale for food and commercial purposes. Back then, passenger pigeon hunting was a popular sport. One hunter was reported to have shot as many as 30,000 pigeons. The Pigeon Protection Law was enacted in the mid-1890s, when the species was already nearly extinct. The last passenger pigeon discovered in the wild was shot on March 24, 1900 in Ohio. This species finally disappeared completely when the last passenger pigeon, a female, died on September 1,1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo.