A painting showing a black line in the sky, with people holding rifles standing in a field.
An 1875 painting of a passenger pigeon flock being hunted in Louisiana. (credit: Smith Bennett / Wikimedia Commons)

Episode for June 5, 2026

Passenger pigeons were once the most abundant bird in North America. But in 1914, they went extinct. Most of their last nesting grounds hugged the Great Lakes. What was it like to experience these birds? And what are we left with when we lose a species? This special episode is from Points North, a podcast about the land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.



Additional Links: Jersey Shore ‘resilient’ as summer season attracts beachgoers