They're gone now — every one of them — but there was a time when passenger pigeons were so plentiful in North America that their migration could blot out the sun for hours at a time. One flock passing through southern Ontario in 1866, composed of 3.5 billion birds, was described as a mile wide and 300 miles long, and it reportedly took 14 hours to pass.
At 3 p.m. Saturday, a leading researcher on the passenger pigeon will discuss how and why the species became extinct 100 years ago. His lecture will be at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, one of the few venues on the West Coast that actually has a passenger pigeon specimen on public display.
Ben Novak, science and research consultant for a nonprofit organization called Revive and Restore, also will talk about his quest through that lab to bring the species back from extinction.
The technology that can make de-extinction possible has already been developed, says the 27-year-old Novak, who grew up near Theodore Roosevelt National Forest in North Dakota.
"The more species that support an ecosystem tend to make the ecosystem more ready to adapt to major changes, such as climate changes and geological changes," he says. "And a diverse ecosystem ultimately provides humanity with everything from basic physical needs in life to the emotional stimulation that comes from the beauty of nature."
At least two factors drove passenger pigeons into extinction, says Novak, whose interest in the bird (and other extinct and nearly extinct species) began in his early teens.
"Something people tend to forget is that poultry farms and ranches weren't extensively found in the 1800s in North America, where the majority of meat that was eaten was wild game," he said. "So all forms of wild animals were commercially harvested by food companies that hired trappers and shooters."
A contributing factor — albeit a lesser one — was that massive deforestation wiped out much of the passenger pigeon's natural habitat, Novak says.
If Novak and other scientists can successfully use the DNA of existing passenger pigeon species to restore the bird from extinction, other extinct and nearly extinct animals are likely to be next.
In addition to Novak's lecture, the museum will offer a multi-faceted children's program, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., about the passenger pigeon.
Dennis Taylor can be reached at email@example.com or 646-4344. If you go
·What: A lecture by renowned researcher Ben Novak on the passenger pigeon, extinct for 100 years after once ranking among the most plentiful animals in North America.
·When: 3 p.m. Saturday; children's program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
·Where: Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
·Admission: $5, children free
If you go