Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-27
MILLIONS OF
WILD PIGEONS
DARKENED SKY
Tragic Disappearance of the
Famous Passenger Bird
Unsolved Mystery.

no such thing as a wild pigeon In the
United States any more is an idea which
seems to be widely entertained in this
country, and which is wholly erroneous,
according to the ornithologists.
The fact of the matter is that the pas
senger pigeon, which was once phe-
nomenaIy abundant In the western
United States, is extinct; but there are
at least three species of wild pigeon
found today within the United States.
All three of them are little known, de-
spite the fact that one Of them is dis
tributed, in sparse and scattering man.
ner, over Il good part Of the West.
For some reason, the wild pigeon is an
object of exceptional popular interest. II
one may Judge by the number OF ques-
lions that come to an information bureau
about 1t. and the number of newspaper
and magazine articles that have been
written on the subject.
Nearly every American now knows
something of the tragic and mysterious
history Of the passenger pigion, which
sixty or seventy years ago darkened the
sky with its vast flocks, killed whole
forests by using them as roosting places,
and glutted American markets with Its
flesh. 1t is believed by scientists that
the slaughter OF the pigeons did not
alone account for their complete and sud
dent disappearance along in the eighties,
but that some other factor, which mas
never been explained, must have had a
part In IT,
All of this has been often recited. The
passenger pigeon has been given a great
deal Of publicity, while the other Aneri-
cnn Wild pigeons are almost unknown
10 the general public.
BAND-TAILED PIGEON
INHABIrs ROCKIES.
The most important Of these is tue
band-tailed pigeon. which occurs in n
scattered and unaccountable way all over
The Rocky Mountain country and west to
the Pacific Ocean. The center OF album
dance is said to be at the mouth Of the
Columbia River and people who live In
that section probably are familiar with
the birds, but most persons, even In
states whore they are found. never saw
one
The bank tailed pigeon Is n true pig
con. It f. good deal more Ike the
average mans idea OF pigeon than the
p1ssenger pigeon was, because II be
longs to the same genus as the domestic
pigeon. We have seen this bird and It
looks exactly like big blue domestic
pigeon II COOS the same way and when
Il rises makes the same clapplng sound
with the wings IL has the very pecu
liar habit OF carrying Its light nest OF
tWlgs with II when frightened durina
the nesting season. This sounds fahu-
ious, but is attested by Government sci
entists II grasps the nest and eggs be
tween the legs. Sometimes merely
single egg Is carried Ia this way.
This pigeon has a way Of appearing
suddenly in large focks where good crops
Of acorns. its favorite food, are found.
For years afterward, II there are few
acorus. not a bird may Appear.
Down in the Keys of Florida they have
another Wild pigeon known as the white
crowned pigeon. Il is rare. and extreme
ly shy. the reason being that 1t is one
Of the most toothsome OF bride. A native
In Key West told rs last winter that dur
ing the tourist season as high ms 50 each
IL paid for the birds. II probably has
hard life
4 third Wild pigeon comes into the
United states along the Rio Grande on
the Mexican border. II Is Is called the
rcd-billed pigeon, and Is a large bird OF
excellent table qualities.
Pigeons are distributed ali over the
world, and they make a most interesting
study. because they illustrate so aptly
the way IN which environment affects the
development Of living creatures.
Thus, it Is not generally known that
the dodo was a great flightless pigeon.
In fact, although the word dodo has
become part OF our slang. very few
people know what Il means