Random Animals American Settlers Would Have Seen (13 items)

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  (#6) Passenger Pigeon

  • Organism Classification

  To say passenger pigeons lived in America is an understatement. They thrived in the early 1800s, with migrating flocks numbering in the hundreds of millions, which supposedly took several hours to pass overhead. But by the 1890s, those flocks only contained a few dozen birds. 

  Martha, the last living passenger pigeon, passed at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. Experts agree they were hunted to extinction, since people didn't believe any amount of hunting could reduce their substantial numbers.
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  (#9) Eastern Elk

  The eastern elk was a subspecies of North America's once-massive elk population. They ranged throughout the Northern and Eastern US, roaming alongside herds of bison and small deer. They were hunted heavily by Europeans, and Theodore Roosevelt noted their dwindling numbers in 1905.

  Today, researchers consider them extinct. A New Zealand elk population - which originated from a group of 18 eastern elk Teddy Roosevelt sent to the country in the early 1905 - may hold the key to their reintroduction.
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  (#3) Carolina Parakeet

  • Organism Classification

  Carolina parakeets are considered America's only native parrot species. The small, colorful birds were once native to the Southeastern US, and extremely plentiful at that. Populations ranged from Colorado to New York, but the parakeets were especially abundant in Florida, Georgia, and along the coasts of North and South Carolina.

  By 1918, the last captive Carolina parakeet died at the Cincinnati Zoo. Scientists remain unsure about what caused their extinction.
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  (#1) Great Auk

  • Organism Classification

  The great auk was a flightless seabird that lived along the East Coast of both the United States and Canada, as well as Iceland, Greenland, and the British Isles. The last pair of nesting great auks passed in 1844, when hunters captured and killed them in Iceland - and stepped on their egg. 1852, meanwhile, marks the final time a living great auk was spotted.

  The great auk spent most of its time in the water, only coming ashore to breed. The large birds stood out from penguins as easy targets for hunters, who valued their meat and feathers.
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  (#2) Mexican Grizzly Bear

  Mexican grizzly bears were once native to northern Mexico, along with parts of Arizona and New Mexico. The brown bears were slightly smaller than other North American grizzlies, and sported golden or silvery coats. Cattle ranchers considered them pests and indiscriminately dispatched the grizzlies to maintain their land.

  Though eventually named a protected species, many researchers believe the bears all went extinct by 1969.
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  (#13) Sea Mink

  Genetically similar to the American mink, the sea mink likely went extinct in the 1880s. They were coastal dwellers, living along the eastern seaboard in Newfoundland, Maine, and Massachusetts. The sea mink was wiped out before scientists could study and document their behavior and full habitat range.

  Their pelts were valuable to Europeans, and over-hunting was a key factor in their extinction.

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