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Passenger Pigeon Until the late 19th century, passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) by the millions returned to their annual nesting grounds each spring. Early in March or April, passenger pigeons flew north in flocks so large that their numbers darkened the sky and their flapping sounded like thunder. When the birds arrived in the Eastern Woodlands, they selected breeding sites. They depleted the supply of available nesting material filling the trees with nests. Thousands of passenger pigeons hatched each spring. The Iroquois only hunted the young pigeons, or squabs, leaving the adult pigeons to breed again. They offered sacred tobacco and gave thanks for the privilege of hunting the pigeons. However, such practices were not followed by non-Native hunters, and the passenger pigeon population steadily declined. The last attempted nesting in northwestern Pennsylvania was in 1886. Passenger pigeons then disappeared into extinction.
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