Last Passenger Pigeon. She was born in captivity and raised at the Cincinnati, Ohio zoo tabbed with the nickname "Martha." When it became clear she was the last passenger pigeon on earth, scientists frantically tried to breed her, offering thousands of dollars to anyone who would come forward with a mate. At the age of 29, she was found dead at the bottom of her cage. Her body was packed in ice and sent to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. for preservation and display. The Passenger Pigeons in their heyday, were the most numerous bird on earth. Migrating flocks took days to pass. Tree branches would break under their weight. The bird was tall, graceful and could fly faster than a mile a minute. But--this pigeon was a delicacy in the kitchen and was hunted relentlessly finally into extinction.
Last Passenger Pigeon. She was born in captivity and raised at the Cincinnati, Ohio zoo tabbed with the nickname "Martha." When it became clear she was the last passenger pigeon on earth, scientists frantically tried to breed her, offering thousands of dollars to anyone who would come forward with a mate. At the age of 29, she was found dead at the bottom of her cage. Her body was packed in ice and sent to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. for preservation and display. The Passenger Pigeons in their heyday, were the most numerous bird on earth. Migrating flocks took days to pass. Tree branches would break under their weight. The bird was tall, graceful and could fly faster than a mile a minute. But--this pigeon was a delicacy in the kitchen and was hunted relentlessly finally into extinction.
Bio by: Foxwolf
Advertisement
See more Martha the Passenger Pigeon memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
