The Last Flight | Passenger Pigeon Extinction – September 1 On September 1, 1914, the world’s skies grew quieter forever. Martha, the last known Passenger Pigeon, died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo. Once numbering in billions, these birds darkened the skies of North America with their massive flocks. But overhunting and habitat loss drove them to extinction within decades. Martha’s death became a chilling reminder of how human actions can erase an entire species. Today, the passenger pigeon