Passenger Pigeon by Todd McGrain

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.