10. Martha
Martha was the last known passenger pigeon, dying in captivity in 1914. Her death still stands as one of North America’s clearest examples of extinction, because passenger pigeons had once traveled in massive flocks. It’s hard to picture a bird that was once so common becoming a single survivor, yet that was Martha’s story.
11. Inca
Inca was the last known Carolina parakeet, dying in 1918, only a few years after Martha. Carolina parakeets were the only parrots native to the continental United States. They once brought bright color and plenty of noise to forests and river valleys across the East and Midwest, and their disappearance was felt across the country.
12. Booming Ben
Booming Ben was the last known heath hen, a bird that had once lived across parts of the northeastern United States. He spent his final years alone on Martha’s Vineyard, calling for mates that never came. When he disappeared in 1932, his species left for good.
13. Sirocco
Sirocco is a kākāpō, a flightless parrot found only in New Zealand. His friendly nature and memorable television appearance made him an international conservation celebrity. He later became the country’s official spokesbird for conservation, giving people a reason to pay attention to a bird they probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
Department of Conservation on Wikimedia
14. Wisdom
Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was first banded in 1956 and became the world’s oldest known wild bird. She has returned to the same nesting area for decades and has continued to raise chicks. Her long life has given academics, scientists, and bird-lovers a rare chance to follow the same seabird across generations.
John Klavitter/U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wikimedia
15. Alex
Alex was an African grey parrot who spent much of his life with Irene Pepperberg, a well-known American scientist. He became famous for his remarkable abilities, able to identify objects, colors, shapes, and quantities. Alex proved that parrots can learn far more than the familiar sounds and phrases people often expect them to repeat.
Alex from Ithaca, NY on Wikimedia
16. Betty
Betty was a New Caledonian crow who became famous after bending a piece of wire into a hook to retrieve food. The moment became one of the best-known examples of an animal using a tool to solve a problem. Betty’s actions helped people see crows as far more capable creatures than originally thought.
17. Snowball
Snowball was a cockatoo known for his sweet, sweet moves. His dancing, which was always in time to the music, developed into a wide range of dance moves. Currently, he's the Guinness World Record holder for most dance moves by a bird.
18. Pale Male
Pale Male was a red-tailed hawk who made a home near Central Park and became a well-known New York City bird. His Fifth Avenue nest attracted devoted birdwatchers, many of whom followed his family life closely. Public support helped protect the place he shared with his mates and chicks.
19. The Dodo
The dodo became one of history’s most recognizable symbols of extinction after disappearing from Mauritius in the 17th century. Later cartoons made it seem slow and foolish, though that wasn’t an accurate picture of the bird. Its flightless nature left it vulnerable to people and animals that eventually inhabited its land.
20. The Great Auk
The great auk was a large, flightless seabird that once lived across the North Atlantic. Hunters wanted it for meat, eggs, oil, feathers, and specimens, and those demands steadily reduced its numbers. The last confirmed pair was killed on an Icelandic island in 1844, bringing the species to an end.
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