The Passenger Pigeon, named from the French word “passage” for its migratory behavior, once had a population of 3 to 5 billion, making up 25-40% of North America’s bird population. Their massive flocks created a rolling motion and deafening noise when feeding. In 1833, one flock, observed by John James Audubon, was so vast it took three days to pass overhead, darkening the sky.
