[chessplayer]

Homo Sapiens answer = "of course not. that would require intelligence."

[Jed Eckert]

I recall reading some old books (published ca 1890s) that stated the passenger pigeons were a severe pest to agriculture, as bad as locusts. Farmers were constantly trying to eliminate them.

If the passenger pigeon was still around Monsanto would be developing a pigeon resistant GMO crop.

[PLMerite]

[left that other site]

And the world has not been the same since/s

[4yearlurker]

I sure do miss the Carolina Parakeet.

[Hot Tabasco]

At their peak, millions — some argue billions

And folks living in realville (where I live) would argue that nature took its course since no species can survive overpopulation in those numbers.

Back in 1900 there were no scientific means to accurately study the sudden decline of any bird or animal and thus the typical liberal explanation is that "they were hunted to extinction".

Of course such explanation failed to mention the sparse population of humans scattered across this continent. Such sparseness could in no way impact on a population of birds in those numbers............

With that being said, it's most likely they were wiped out by a bird virus similar to the West Nile Virus which swept thru Michigan a number of years ago, killing crows and other birds such as a blue jay I found dead in my bird bath during those days.

But then again, it's much easier to blame mankind than nature itself.......