Passenger pigeon exhibit opens at KWEC and Sternberg

Both the Kansas Wetlands Education Center in Great Bend and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History are helping to raise awareness for the 105th anniversary of the extinction passenger pigeon by displaying an exhibit entitled “Shadow Over the Earth: The Life and Death of the Passenger Pigeon.”

The exhibit for each center opened Wednesday, Oct. 1, and consists of nine informational panels.

“Passenger pigeons were considered to be one of the most numerous bird species in the 1800’s with an estimated population of 3-5 billion in the eastern U.S.,” said Curtis Wolf, KWEN manager. “Stories of flocks of pigeons blackening out the sky were common.”

“They actually went extinct because we hunted them to extinction,” said Reese Barrick, director of the Sternberg Museum.

Not only does the exhibit tell the story of the passenger pigeon’s extinction, it also showcases other animals that have experienced a similar fate including the dodo bird and the Carolina parakeet.

The exhibit also gives examples of animals that have benefited from human intervention.

“Protecting species through the Federal Endangered Species Act and other legislation has been very good for numerous bird species such as bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and whooping cranes,” Wolf said. “Also, many monitoring programs are in place to monitor populations of birds.”

KWEC’s Citizen science programs allow the general public to help out in some of these monitoring efforts, including Christmas Bird Counts, Breeding Bird Surveys, Backyard Bird Counts, and more. Additionally, people and organizations are encouraged to help birds through putting up birdhouses and feeders.

The exhibit is provided by the University of Michigan Natural History Museum and the Project Passenger Pigeon Organization.

The exhibit at KWEC will last through the end of the year and is free to the public. Wolf will offer a public presentation on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m. to showcase the exhibit. The exhibit at the Sternberg will last through the spring and admission costs apply.

The KWEC is located on 592 NE K-156 Hwy, in Great Bend. You may contact KWEC by visiting their website or calling  877- 243-9268. The Sternberg Museum is located on 3000 Sternberg Dr. in Hays. To contact the Sternberg Museum, please visit their website or calling at 785-628-4286.

To learn more about wildlife preservation projects, visit the Project Passenger Pigeon website.