In 1900, the last confirmed wild bird was shot in southern Ohio. A slow decline between about 18 was followed by a rapid decline between 18. There were several other factors contributing to the decline and subsequent extinction of the species, including shrinking of the large breeding populations necessary for preservation of the species and widespread deforestation, which destroyed its habitat. Pigeon meat was commercialized as cheap food, resulting in hunting on a massive scale for many decades. Passenger pigeons were hunted by Native Americans, but hunting intensified after the arrival of Europeans, particularly in the 19th century. It practiced communal roosting and communal breeding, and its extreme gregariousness may be linked with searching for food and predator satiation. The bird fed mainly on mast, and also fruits and invertebrates. A very fast flyer, the passenger pigeon could reach a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The pigeon migrated in enormous flocks, constantly searching for food, shelter, and breeding grounds, and was once the most abundant bird in North America, numbering around 3 billion, and possibly up to 5 billion. It mainly inhabited the deciduous forests of eastern North America and was also recorded elsewhere, but bred primarily around the Great Lakes. The juvenile was similar to the female, but without iridescence. The female was 380 to 400 mm (15.0 to 15.7 in), and was duller and browner than the male overall. The male was 390 to 410 mm (15.4 to 16.1 in) in length, mainly gray on the upperparts, lighter on the underparts, with iridescent bronze feathers on the neck, and black spots on the wings. The passenger pigeon was sexually dimorphic in size and coloration. The morphologically similar mourning dove ( Zenaida macroura) was long thought to be its closest relative, and the two were at times confused, but genetic analysis has shown that the genus Patagioenas is more closely related to it than the Zenaida doves. The scientific name also refers to its migratory characteristics. Its common name is derived from the French word passager, meaning "passing by", due to the migratory habits of the species. The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon ( Ectopistes migratorius) is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to North America. Some older Sikhs will ceremoniously feed them in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, a high priest who was renowned as a friend to pigeons.Distribution map, with former range in orange and breeding zone in red
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