HEATH HEN - PART 2

Heath Hen Timeline

* 1791 - New York passes the first American law to protect a species.  The law called for "the preservation of heath-hen and other game..." but New York citizens thought the law was designed to protect "heathens" (Native Americans) so the law was overlooked.

 * 1870 - no heath hens left on the main land, and 300 heath hens were moved to Martha's Island.

 * 1890 - there were only 120 - 200 left due to feral cats.

 * 1908 - there was a Heath Hen Reserve created

 * 1910 - the population rose to about 2,000

 * 1916 - a fire broke out on Martha's Vineyard

 * 1920 - 600 left after an outbreak of poultry disease and a population rise in area hawks.

 * 1927 - 12 left, only two of those remaining were female.

 * December 8, 1932 - Booming Ben was the last of the heath hens

 * March 11, 1932 - the day that the heath hen went extinct

 

Here are some pictures I took while visiting the Natural History Museum in DC with my kids.





 

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