The Passenger Pigeon - Hardcover

Fuller, Errol

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691162956 ISBN 13: 9780691162959

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2014

Synopsis

At the start of the nineteenth century, Passenger Pigeons were perhaps the most abundant birds on the planet, numbering literally in the billions. The flocks were so large and so dense that they blackened the skies, even blotting out the sun for days at a stretch. Yet by the end of the century, the most common bird in North America had vanished from the wild. In 1914, the last known representative of her species, Martha, died in a cage at the Cincinnati Zoo. This stunningly illustrated book tells the astonishing story of North America's Passenger Pigeon, a bird species that--like the Tyrannosaur, the Mammoth, and the Dodo--has become one of the great icons of extinction. Errol Fuller describes how these fast, agile, and handsomely plumaged birds were immortalized by the ornithologist and painter John James Audubon, and captured the imagination of writers such as James Fenimore Cooper, Henry David Thoreau, and Mark Twain. He shows how widespread deforestation, the demand for cheap and plentiful pigeon meat, and the indiscriminate killing of Passenger Pigeons for sport led to their catastrophic decline. Fuller provides an evocative memorial to a bird species that was once so important to the ecology of North America, and reminds us of just how fragile the natural world can be. Published in the centennial year of Martha's death, The Passenger Pigeon features rare archival images as well as haunting photos of live birds.

About this title

Product Description:

Passenger Pigeon

Review:

"One of The Independent's Best Nature Books of 2014"

"Selected for the American Scientist Science Book Gift Guide 2014"

"One of The Globe and Mail 75 Book Ideas for Christmas 2014"

"One of TheAustralian.com's "In the Good Books" 2014"

"Visually beautiful. . . . Gives a fine account of the species, its biology and its demise."---Adrian Barnett, New Scientist

"A beautifully illustrated, elegantly written 'celebration' of the passenger pigeon and the artists who illustrated and photographed the species. . . . It is a haunting tale, and if you want a readable, engrossing but not lengthy account, I highly recommend this book."---Donna Schulman, 10,000 Birds

"Informative. . . . A celebration of this departed species through a mix of prose, paintings and photographs. . . . Filled with interesting tidbits."---Herb Wilson, Portland Press Herald

"From start to finish, the text is informative and entertaining and the photos and artwork are fascinating. Whether you've studied the Passenger Pigeon for years or haven't even heard of the species, I would highly recommend this book."---Rob Ripma, Nutty Birder

"Beautifully illustrated, including rare archival images as well as haunting photographs of live birds, this is an evocative memorial to one of the great icons of extinction."---Leslie Geddes-Brown, Country Life

"[It] is THE monograph for the passenger pigeon. I imagine everyone would learn something from this book. I personally was left with a feeling that we should not stand idle and allow mankind to eradicate any other living species. An excellent read, recommended."---Mike King, Gloster Birder

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0691162956
• ISBN 13: 9780691162959
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192