What was the largest bird in Ohio?

The largest bird in Ohio was the extinct passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius). It was once abundant in North America, with flocks numbering in the billions. The passenger pigeon was a medium-sized bird, about 16-17 inches long, with a wingspan of 26-27 inches. It had a slate-blue head, neck, and wings, and a chestnut-colored breast. The passenger pigeon was a migratory bird, and it nested in large colonies in the forests of eastern North America. It fed on a variety of fruits and seeds, and it was known for its rapid flight and its ability to change direction quickly.

By the early 19th century passenger pigeon populations had already declined dramatically due to habitat loss and overhunting. The biggest blow came in the late 1800s when passenger pigeons were hunted nearly to extinction for food and sport. The last known wild passenger pigeon died in 1900 in Cincinnati, and the species was declared extinct. Since then, several attempts to revive the species from preserved DNA have been made, but none have been successful.