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

Example Sentences

Humans exterminated the passenger pigeon, the great auk and the Carolina parakeet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 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

In 1914, the last living passenger pigeon died in a zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Then, suddenly, the passenger pigeon vanished—the last bird, Martha, named after Martha Washington, died on September 1,1914.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann