Billions of passenger pigeons used to inhabit North America in the 1800s before they were hunted by humans to extinction. The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once one of the most abundant bird species in North America, with massive flocks that darkened the skies during migration. However, due to overhunting, habitat destruction, and other factors, their population rapidly declined, and the last known passenger pigeon died in captivity in 1914. The extinction of the passenger pigeon serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact human activities can have on species and the importance of conservation efforts to prevent such losses in the future.