![]() The 1871 nesting of passenger pigeons in Wisconsin likely involved 136 million adult birds.Īt the time of Martha’s death, the depletion of so much abundance in such a short time was difficult for people to accept and explain. And it holds some important lessons today for a world where increasing numbers of species are becoming extinct. The rapidity with which this bird’s population went from billions to none was, I believe, unprecedented. Yet by 1890, there were probably no more than several thousand of the pigeons left, and the last wild bird was shot on Apin Laurel, Indiana. Other accounts, written over the course of three centuries and in several languages, testify to the birds darkening the sky for hours at a time over the major cities of the eastern third of the United States and Canada.Īt Fort Mississauga, Ontario (located at Niagara on the Lake, about 80 miles from Toronto) in early May of around 1860, Ross King, a major in the British army, witnessed and described in great detail a movement of passenger pigeons that has been calculated at more than two billion birds and, depending on how fast they were flying, could have been as many as 3.7 billion. John James Audubon, America’s best-known student of birds, recorded a flight of passenger pigeons along the Ohio River in Kentucky that eclipsed the sun for three days. These birds had a propensity for forming huge aggregations that are difficult to imagine today. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONĪs late as the 1860s, passenger pigeons had likely numbered in the billions, and their population was neither evenly distributed across the landscape nor in any way subtle. Visit the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife at for additional information on bear safety.Martha, the last surviving passenger pigeon, on display at the Smithsonian Institution. Please report any damage or nuisance behavior to the park office. Never run from a bear! To report an aggressive bear, call 1-877-WARN-DEP (1-87) immediately. Do not approach or attract bears by making food available. Use insect repellent, wear light-colored clothing, tuck pants into socks, stay on trails, check yourself when you get home, shower and wash clothes immediately.īlack bears are found throughout New Jersey. Pets must always be on a leash no longer than six feet in length and under the control of the owner. There are no trash receptacles in this park. It’s like crowdsourcing trash management! Bring a bag or two for trash, recycling and cleaning up after your pet. Whatever you carry into the park, plan on carrying it out too. ![]() ![]() Protect plants and animals and care for your parks by taking your trash with you. ![]() Īlcoholic beverages are not permitted in state parks, forests, recreation areas, golf courses, marinas, natural areas, historic sites, and preserves. State law prohibits the smoking of tobacco and use of electronic smoking (vaping) devices in all state parks, forests, historic sites, recreation areas, golf courses and marinas. ![]() Thank you for your help in protecting New Jersey’s natural and historic resources. This includes state parks, forests, recreation areas, golf courses, marinas, natural areas, historic sites, and preserves. Recreational use of ATVs is not permitted on NJ State Park Service property. ![]()
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