Passenger Pigeon by Todd McGrain

Art Walk

Passenger Pigeon by Todd McGrain

Ithaca, New York 14882, United States

Created By: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Information

You'll find this sculpture just outside the Visitor Center entrance.

Within less than fifty years, Passenger Pigeons went from comprising up to forty percent of the land bird population of North America to almost completely extinct—all due to overhunting. Without any regulations, the rapid decline of passenger pigeon populations reached its end when the last known pigeon "Martha" died in 1914 at Cincinnati Zoo.

As a memorial to this extinction, artist Todd McGrain created the Passenger Pigeon sculpture. His work encourages viewers to reflect on our loss and recognize the impacts we have on other species. The sculpture stands as a reminder of our duty to prevent further extinctions from occurring.

McGrain is the creative director at the Lost Bird Project. In addition to the Passenger Pigeon, sculpture memorials have been dedicated to the Carolina Parakeet, Labrador Duck, Great Auk, and Heath Hen.

This point of interest is part of the tour: Art Walk


 

Leave a Comment

 


 

Download the App

Download the PocketSights Tour Guide mobile app to take this self-guided tour on your GPS-enabled mobile device.

iOS Tour Guide Android Tour Guide

 


 

Updates and Corrections

Please send change requests to changerequest@pocketsights.com.