From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction

Since disappearing in the 17th century, the dodo has become emblematic of species that have become extinct in modern times. But as demonstrated in David Mrazek's fascinating documentary, the fate of the passenger pigeon is even more disturbing. Based on the research of Joel Greenberg, who also serves as genial host, From Billions to None illustrates how the birds—literally numbering in the billions in North America during the early 19th century—were killed off. The last known pigeon, called Martha (preserved via taxidermy), died in 1914 in the Cincinnati Zoo. Deforestation played a major role, but intensive hunting using live decoys called “stool pigeons”—the origin of the popular term—was also instrumental. Greenberg proves to be a solid guide for telling this unedifying story (enlivened with a broad array of archival data) as Mrazek follows him on visits to schools and public gatherings, where he alerts audiences to the dire consequences that thoughtless human activity has on other animal species (including sharks, which are being decimated) and emphasizes the need for serious conservation efforts. The documentary also includes a brief introduction to the “de-extinction” movement, which is devoted to reviving extinct creatures (à la Jurassic Park) by extracting DNA from preserved specimens for cloning. While that idea might appeal to sci-fi buffs, the film primarily uses the passenger pigeon to make a strong argument for taking preemptive steps to ensure that such methods won't be necessary to save today's endangered species. Extras include bonus featurettes and a deleted scene. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)