List of Extinct Birds

There are over 9,000 known bird species and 130 of them have become extinct since 1800. There are many reasons why birds become extinct. Colonization, destruction of natural habitat, hunting, predators and disease have all been responsible for the death of bird species over the years. Conservation efforts are set up to house critically endangered birds in hopes of repopulating, however these efforts are not always successful. For example, the last passenger pigeon died in a Cincinnati zoo in 1914. Extinct species include the dodo, the laughing owl, the Guadeloupe Island caracara, the mysterious starling, six species of the Hawaii Drepanididae family and many more.

  1. Dodo

    • The exact date of extinction of the dodo bird is unknown, however it is said to have been extinct by 1680. This was 174 years after the Europeans became aware of their existence. The dodo lived off the coast of Madagascar and was killed off by hunters and animals such as rats, cats and pigs.

    Laughing Owl

    • The laughing owl could once be seen throughout New Zealand. The last laughing owl was found dead in 1914 in South Canterbury. It received its name from the laughlike sounds it made. It is not known how this owl became extinct, but it is likely that they were eaten as food. They may have also been killed by the introduction of rats and stoats, which fed on them as well as their eggs and chicks.

    Guadeloupe Island Caracara

    • The Guadeloupe Island caracara was a large bird with a black head and gray tail feathers. The bird was a natural predator and fed on other small birds, insects, and whatever else was available. The natives believed these birds killed their goats and therefore destroyed the species using guns and poison. This bird is one of few bird species that were purposely killed and brought to extinction.

    Mysterious Starling

    • The mysterious starling has little information on record, hence the name. There is currently only one specimen of the bird. It is kept in the British Museum. There is no information on which Pacific Island it lived on and has not been found on any Pacific Island. It is thought to be a bird collected on one of Captain Cook's voyages.

    Hawaii Drepanididae

    • Hawaii has been called the bird extinction capital because of the large number of bird species to become extinct. The Hawaii Drepanididae family consisted of six different species, and all six of them have become extinct. The last species was seen in 1907. Brown rats, mongoose, and destruction of habitat has been blamed for their extinction.