The Passenger Pigeon - Hardcover

Fuller, Errol

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691162956 ISBN 13: 9780691162959

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2014

Synopsis

A haunting, beautifully illustrated memorial to this iconic extinct bird

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

About the Author:

Errol Fuller is an acclaimed artist and writer, and a world authority on bird and animal extinction. His many books include Lost Animals: Extinction and the Photographic Record (Princeton), Extinct Birds, and Dodo: From Extinction to Icon.

Review:

"Written with both clarity and feeling. Most impressive is the breadth and depth of research crammed into what is a relatively slim volume. . . . A masterful summary of what we know about this remarkable bird. To read it is a joy, but one tinged with sadness and regret."---Andy Stoddart, Birdwatch

"[I]f you want to learn more about the Passenger Pigeons, this is a great book to have and to share." (North Durham Nature Newsletter)

"It is easy to read and thought-provoking, and will be of interest to anyone concerned about conservation today."---Ian Woodward, BTO News

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

"If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Errol Fuller's slim book, The Passenger Pigeon, is surely stuffed full of them. . . . It will probably appeal to younger readers, it is a fast read and it could be a satisfying companion volume to the other two passenger pigeon books that have been recently published." (Grrl Scientist)

"One of The Seattle Times 8 Books to Put under a Bird-Lover’s Tree 2014"

"A timely reminder of just how tenuous life can be for a species, regardless of how numerous they might be. This hardback book is beautifully illustrated. Mr. Fuller has put together a complete natural history of the passenger pigeon drawing upon historical illustrations, photographs, specimens, poems, ornithological journal articles and historical accounts."---Penny Miller, A Charm of Finches

"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

"Writing in a clear, conversational tone, artist/writer Fuller highlights important aspects of this bird's natural history and its remarkable downhill spiral into oblivion. He provides fascinating accounts of the last wild birds; of ‘Martha,' the last of her species, who died in the Cincinnati Zoo; and historical testimony from people who observed the birds' enormous flocks firsthand. Illustrated with numerous historical photographs and exquisite artwork (modern and period), this lasting tribute to one of the most magnificent birds to have ever lived will interest anyone who cares about conservation of the natural world." (Choice)

"In The Passenger Pigeon, Erroll Fuller brings his artist's eye to a recently popular, much-covered, yet little-understood phenomenon. . . . Fuller's vivid account is the one new book on the species you must buy." (Living Bird Magazine)

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0691162956
• ISBN 13: 9780691162959
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 184