From Millions to Zero: 25 Extinct Birds

1. Dodo Bird (Raphus cucullatus)

The Dodo bird was a flightless bird that lived in the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. There, the Dodo bird inhabited and nested on the ground as it had already lost its need and ability for flight.

By evolution, the dodo birds did not have any natural predators (of course, except humans!)

The start of the 1500s marked the arrival of humans to the island. Dodo birds have since then been widely hunted for fresh meat, thus reducing their large number.

The rise of human exploitation and invasive species population is the main reason for the extinction of the Dodo bird in 1681.

2. Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis)

The Carolina parakeet, the only parrot endemic to North America, was characterized by having a vibrant green coloration for the majority of its body, bright yellow colored head, and shoulders, and a very distinct orange forehead. Carolina parakeets were considered to be poisonous as animals (like cats) that feed on them die from doing so.

During the 1800s, these parakeets had become a serious agricultural pest as they formed loud flocks that would feed on fruits and crops. As a result, enraged farmers held mass slaughter of these birds. The killing and hunting of these birds, combined with the degradation of forests, led to the decline of the bird population.

By the 1920s, the Carolina parakeet was extinct. The above image from the Oklahoma museum shows the dead Carolina Parakeet collected in the 1880s.

3. Bachman’s Warbler (Vermivora bachmanii)

Known to be a migrant that breeds in the regions of United States and some parts of China, the Bachman’s warbler is a sexually dimorphic bird species that is considered to be extinct.

The last breeding was officially recorded in 1937; since then, no further reports have been done.

Scientists believed that the ‘Bachmans warbler has already become extinct due to widespread habitat destruction. However, they still hope to find some, as not all remnant patches have been searched.

4. Tasmanian Emu (Dromaius diemenensis)

As its name suggests, the Tasmanian Emu was a subspecies of the Emu bird endemic to the region of Tasmania in Australia.

In comparison to their relative Emus, the Tasmanian Emus were believed to be smaller and appeared to be darker with the absence of the black feather that distinguishes Emus.

Records show that in just 20 years (from 1830 to 1850s), the Tasmanian emu went extinct from being locally extinct.

5. Arabian Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

The next extinct bird in the list is the Arabian ostrich which is also known as the “Camel bird“. This bird inhabited the regions of the Middle east several million years ago.

In the Middle East, this bird was widely hunted for its feathers, skin, and eggs. In addition, the large size of these birds makes them ideal as a dinner choice, along with other animals like camels and zebras.

During the early 20th century, the population of the Arabian ostrich was greatly reduced as a byproduct of World War II. Finally, the last Arabian ostrich recorded was found in Bahrain in 1941.

6. Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)

Also called as the Garefowl, the Great Auk was a flightless bird that inhabited the rocky regions of North Atlantic, Iceland, and other parts of Europe. It is closely linked to penguins as both can swim in cold waters and live on land.

Because of the “Little Ice age“, a large decline in the Great Auk population was observed by the mid-16th century. These birds became widely exposed to predation and massive human exploitation as their down feathers were plucked for pillow production.

While there have been laws that prohibited the hunting of Great Auks, a great volcanic eruption during the 1830s almost wiped out the Great Auk population. Unfortunately (in 1844), the last pair of Great Auks was killed as their egg was smashed by merchants to be used as specimens.

7. Seychelles Parakeet (Psittacula wardii)

As its name suggests, this bird was found to inhabit Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off Eastern Africa.

This bird appeared to be very similar to the Alexander parakeet, only smaller and lacking the distinct pink-colored collar. Its body was green with purple patches on its wings and yellow underside tail.

The Seychelles parakeet became extinct due to intense hunting pressure, and they are believed to be already gone by 1893.

8. Laysan Rail (Porzana palmeri)

Known to inhabit the Northwestern Hawaiian island in the United States of America, the Laysan rail was a flightless bird with brown overall plumage.

It has grey underparts, a black tail, red eyes, green legs, and yellow beaks.

The population of these birds was wiped out due to the introduction of non-native rats in 1944.

9. Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)

Perhaps the most numerous birds during the early 19th century, the Passenger pigeon had a total population of at least 3 billion – almost one-third of the total bird population of North American birds at present.

The Passenger pigeon, endemic to North America, is characterized as a noisy low-flying bird that comes in large flocks.

Despite their overwhelming number, by the early 20th century, not a single bird was left in the wild due to the increase in predation and human exploitation.

The very last Passenger pigeon named Martha was found dead in 1914.

10. Stephen’s island Wren (Traversia lyalli)

Also known as the ‘Lyalls wren, Stephen’s island wren was a bird endemic to New Zealand.

Interestingly, this bird was flightless as it possessed no keel on its breastbone to attach the muscles necessary for flight. It also had very short wings and loosely attached feathers.

Because of the extensive island development and widespread predation by the exotic cats, the population of this bird was wiped out in 1895.

11. Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)

The next entry in this extinct birds list is the Ivory-billed woodpecker which is considered as the largest woodpecker in North Mexico and third in the world.

Its extinction in the mid-20th century is believed to be caused by the destruction of its habitat as well as human exploitation.

As its name suggests, this bird species was highly notable for its enormous white bill resembling ivory. As a result, these woodpeckers were hunted for their bills to be used as decorations.

12. New Zealand Quail (Coturnix novaezelandiae)

The New Zealand quail, as its name suggests, was endemic to the North and South Islands of New Zealand. However, due to the widespread exploitation of Maori to use them as a food source, they had totally gone extinct in 1875.

This genus of birds was composed of small ground birds and was the only representative of the quail and pheasant bird family.

Unfortunately, this was the first bird species that went extinct after European colonization in the region.

Only a little information about the biology of this bird is available.

13. Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius)

Endemic to the northeast coast of North America, the Labrador duck was the first ever bird to become extinct in North America after 16th century.

Also known as the Pied duck, this duck fed on mollusks like mussels.

Even before its extinction in the 1870s, the Labrador duck was already considered to be rare; however, hunters continued to seek it thus, resulting in its extinction.

14. Laughing Owl (Sceloglaux albifacies)

Known to inhabit deep crevices of limestone cliffs, the laughing owl was the only endemic owl species in New Zealand. It was easily recognizable for its loud cry that sounded like repeated shrieks (hence its name).

During the mid-19th century, this bird was still common but slowly decreasing in number.

The extinction of the Laughing owl in 1914 was highly attributed to the destruction of its habitat, and the introduction of exotic species (such as stoats ferrets) that became its predators.

15. Chatham island Penguin (Eudyptes chathamensis)

The Chatham Island penguin is a species endemic to Chatham’s Island in the Pacific Ocean, east of New Zealand.

The Chatham Island penguin is a crested bird of the Eudyptes family, which is characterized by the presence of white and black plumage with distinct yellow eyebrows.

This penguin became extinct as a result of the arrival of the human population (sometime between 1867 to 1872).

16. Mauritius Blue Pigeon (Alectroenas nitidissimus)

The Mauritius blue pigeon, as its name implies, was a species of pigeon endemic to Mairitius (Mascarene Island) in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.

This bird was very distinct because it somehow resembles the Dutch flag with its white feathers around its head, breast, and neck, blue body feathers, and red tail.

Like the Dodo bird, also native to Mauritius, this blue pigeon has gone extinct due to human colonization of the islands in the 1600s.

17. Elephant Bird (Aepyornis maximus)

The next extinct bird to make it to this list is the so-called “Madagascars giant” – the Elephant bird.

The Elephant bird is considered the largest bird ever. Like its close relatives, the emus and ostriches, this bird had a massive physique and sharp claws. However, this bird was not capable of running swiftly and even flying.

Scientists believed that the extinction of this species in the 1700s was mainly because of human exploitation. This bird had eggs big enough to feed an entire family; hence, it is no wonder that they were hunted for food.

18. Marianne White Eye (Zosterops semiflavus)

Endemic to the Marianne islands in Seychelles, the Marianne white eye is a newly-identified yet already extinct bird species.

Very little information is known about this bird, but it is believed to have an overall greenish plumage with a very distinct white eye ring (hence the name).

This species went extinct between 1870 and the 1900s.

19. Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa)

As its name implies, the Himalayan quail is a species of bird endemic to Himalayan mountain ranges that separates India and Tibet.

According to the records, this bird had characteristics of both a quail and a partridge. However, one distinguishing feature of this bird was its broad tail which is relatively long compared to other species of quail in India.

This bird was considered as extinct as it was last verified in 1876.

At present, various attempts to look for this bird in India are being conducted.

20. Saint Helena Dove (Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos)

Coming from the Columbidae bird family, the Saint Helena dove was a monotypic genus of flightless bird native to Saint Helena island in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, there is no illustration of this bird.

The genusDysmoropelia is a monotypic genus; meaning it is the only member of that specific genus.

Years after the island’s discovery (1502), this bird became widely hunted until it became extinct.

21. Kangaroo Island Emu (Dromaius baudinianus)

Also called as the Dwarf Emu, the Kangaroo Island Emu is an extinct bird species that was endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Compared to the mainland emus, this species of emu was relatively smaller in size.

Because of extensive hunting and habitat destruction, this bird species went extinct in 1827.

22. Norfolk Island Kaka (Nestor productus)

The Norfolk Island Kaka is an extinct bird species that inhabited the Norfolk island and the nearby Phillip island during the 18th century.

Scientists believed that this bird had a limited ability to migrate between islands; hence it spent most of its time in the islands where it was given birth.

During the early 18th century, the population of this bird started to decline, and finally, in 1851, the last known Norfolk Island Kaka died in captivity.

23. Reunion Shelduck (Alopochen kervazoi)

The next bird in this extinct bird list is the Reunion Shelduck or Reunion Sheldgoose, which was endemic to the region of Reunion Island situated in the Indian Ocean.

Little information is known about this organism since only fossils were found.

The destruction of the forest habitat of the Etang de Saint-Paul is believed to be the main reason why this bird became extinct in 1710.

24. Hawaiʻi ʻōʻō (Moho nobilis)

Also called as the Kauaʻiʻōʻō, the Hawaiʻi ʻōʻō was a forest bird that was native to the island of Kauaʻi.

The arrival of humans on the island, coupled with habitat destruction and the introduction of exotic species, had caused a great decline in the Hawaiʻi ʻōʻō population.

Unfortunately, this bird became extinct in 1987.

25. Hawaiʻi Mamo (Drepanis pacifica)

Classified as the songbird of the bird family Drepanididae, the Hawaiʻi mamo (Drepanis pacifica) is a species of extinct bird that used to inhabit the islands of Hawaiʻi.

This bird was very popular because of the color of its feathers (overall black plumage with a yellow undercoat). Because of their feathers, they were extensively hunted by the Hawaiʻian nobilities, thus decreasing their number.

The exploitation of the Americans in 1898 finally caused the extinction of this bird species.

Reasons for the extinction of birds?

For a variety of causes, birds are becoming endangered or even extinct:

• The first is habitat loss as a result of human-caused urban development activities (such as deforestation, industrialization, etc.), as well as natural disasters, mobile phone towers with frequencies amplified over safe levels, and climate change.
• Hunting and poaching are two major factors in the extinction of birds. The influx of non-native species (such as rodents and snakes) into an area also has an adverse effect on the bird population because they make it dangerous for birds to lay their eggs in trees and on the ground or to rear their young.
• Due to a lack of food supplies, birds starve to death, or different bird species fight over the same food sources in ecosystems.
• When birds like albatrosses and petrels unintentionally become entangled in gill and trawl nets, they frequently become bycatch in fisheries and perish.
• Pesticides significantly harm the number of birds. Birds eat the grains that are coated in the concentrated insecticides that are applied to the field. The hormonal balance of the birds is subsequently disturbed, which leads to fragile eggs that cannot survive for very long.
• Biological Magnification is another justification (i.e., chemical toxins travel from the lowest chain species in the ecological pyramids to top of the chain). As an illustration, man-made pollution in the ocean floor enters the fish diet and is subsequently eaten by seagulls. The bird becomes infertile or possibly dies due to the poisonous poisoning.
• In some uncommon circumstances, the extinction of a bird species is unavoidable because the bird may be a novel species that developed from other bird species (through cross-breeding, for example) and lacks adaptability and is highly vulnerable to environmental changes.