Illustration of passenger pigeon
passenger pigeon
noun
: an extinct but formerly abundant North American migratory pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)
Examples of passenger pigeon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One was preserved as a memorial to Martha, the last passenger pigeon in existence, who died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.
—
Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
But the passenger pigeon’s fate occupies a special place on the shelf of historical horrors.
—Dan Flores, Time, 29 May 2025
Take the American passenger pigeon, for example – once among the most numerous birds on Earth, with flocks so vast they were said to darken the skies for hours in the 1800s.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Both political parties believed in it so ardently that the federal government failed to act to save bison (now our National Mammal) or passenger pigeons, both among America’s most numerous and iconic species.
—Dan Flores, Time, 29 May 2025
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Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
But the passenger pigeon’s fate occupies a special place on the shelf of historical horrors.
—Dan Flores, Time, 29 May 2025
Take the American passenger pigeon, for example – once among the most numerous birds on Earth, with flocks so vast they were said to darken the skies for hours in the 1800s.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Both political parties believed in it so ardently that the federal government failed to act to save bison (now our National Mammal) or passenger pigeons, both among America’s most numerous and iconic species.
—Dan Flores, Time, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for passenger pigeon
Cite this Entry
“Passenger pigeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passenger%20pigeon. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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