The Silent Sky: The Incredible
Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon
1965
This book, a nature novel, by following the hatching and lifetime
experiences of the bird that ultimately became the last wild passenger
pigeon known to have existed, chronicles the life, natural history
and incredible extinction of the passenger pigeon which, at one
time, was the most abundant bird in North America. In early times,
four out of every five birds on this entire continent were passenger
pigeons, with numerous huge flocks and each of these flocks having
sometimes in the tens of millions of birds. One such migrating flock,
estimated to be a quarter-mile wide and 20 to 50 birds in depth,
stretched all the way from Louisiana to the Ohio River at Evansville,
Indiana. Yet, in a few short decades, man had wiped out the species;
the last wild bird being killed in 1900 and the last captive bird
dying in 1914. Originally published in hardcover in 1965 by Little,
Brown & Co., Boston, Mass.; later in both hardcover and trade
paperback by Landfall Press. After being out of print for several
years, this book has recently been reprinted in a softcover books-on-demand
format by iUniverse.com, Lincoln, NE, and may be ordered by calling
their toll-free number, 1-877-823-9235.
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