passenger pigeon

American  

noun

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

---

passenger pigeon British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of passenger pigeon

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

passenger pigeon

Vultures have suffered “the fastest collapse of any group of birds on earth,” Mr. Weidensaul writes, “second only to the extinction of the passenger pigeon in terms of the sheer numbers of individuals lost.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 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

The passenger pigeon, once the most abundant bird in North America—numbering in the billions—disappeared from the skies in just a few decades because so many people hunted them for sport.

From National Geographic Kids ● Dec. 21, 2020

And by 1914 the last passenger pigeon was dead.

From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli