passenger pigeon

American  

noun

1. an extinct pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, once found in great numbers in North America, noted for its sustained migratory flights.

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passenger pigeon British  

noun

1. a gregarious North American pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius: became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century

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Etymology

Origin of passenger pigeon

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

passenger pigeon

Thus the California grizzly joined the passenger pigeon, the most populous bird on earth, on the extinction list.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Along with the passenger pigeon we exterminated the great auk, the Carolina parakeet, the Labrador duck and the ivory-billed woodpecker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

Despite how resilient sharks may seem, though, they may not be able to dodge the fate of the dodo or the passenger pigeon.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2024

In the 1800s, the sky would routinely grow dark when large numbers of the now-extinct passenger pigeon passed through this popular roosting area in northwestern, Pennsylvania.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 20, 2023

Some archaeologists have criticized these conclusions on the grounds that passenger pigeon bones would not be likely to be preserved.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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