Today our 2013 Birdorable Bonanza concludes as we reveal our 500th species: the Passenger Pigeon.

You probably know that the Passenger Pigeon is extinct. But did you know that there used to be up to 5 billion Passenger Pigeons living in North America, making it possibly the most abundant bird species on earth? Flocks, so thick with pigeons that they would darken the sky, would take hours to pass by. How did we lose this species? How did we go from billions to none?

Passenger Pigeon nest display at Chicago's Field Museum (photo by blogger)

The answer is complicated, but two major factors contributed to the demise of the Passenger Pigeon. First, habitat loss was devastating. The birds used huge swathes of woodland to nest and feed, and their preferred trees were taken in huge numbers for both logging and human development. Hunting to satisfy a taste for pigeon was the other major factor. The development of commercial train routes and explosive (human) population growth in eastern North America resulted in a huge trade of pigeon meat. Passenger Pigeons were slaughtered on a mass scale in the Midwest and then transported by rail to cities like New York and Boston for food. This brief account is an extremely simplified version of the complicated story of the loss of the Passenger Pigeon. Project Passenger Pigeon aims to educate people about the Passenger Pigeon and about extinction. 2014 is the 100 year anniversary of the death of Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon. Please visit Project Passenger Pigeon on the web to learn more.

This concludes our huge 2013 Birdorable Bonanza! We now offer a whopping 500 different cute cartoon birds, each available on a wide range of products. Thanks for following along!

It looks like yesterday's bird, the Least Bittern, totally got photobombed by a Rufous-necked Wood-Rail! How often does that happen? Our 499th Birdorable species and second-to-last 2013 Bonanza bird is the Rufous-necked Wood Rail!

Rufous-necked Wood-Rails are usually found in coastal habitats in parts of Central and South America. However, one day earlier this month, birder Matt Daw had an interesting experience while making a video of a Least Bittern at a National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Have a look at the photobombing wood-rail that sent the birding world into a frenzy:

News of Daw's rare sighting spread like wildfire among the birding community and visitors came from all over the United States to see the wood-rail. American Birding Association president Jeffrey Gordon recorded an interview with Matt Daw which you can see here: Interview with Matt Daw, finder of the New Mexico Rufous-necked Wood-Rail. And the famous sighting also got coverage on a recent episode of CBS This Morning.

Tomorrow our 2013 Bonanza will conclude with Birdorable species #500. This once-abundant species will have an important but sad anniversary next year. Join us tomorrow as we reveal our 500th cute Birdorable cartoon bird!

We’re adding new birds each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species! Today’s Bonanza bird is species #498 overall: the Least Bittern.

Least Bitterns are very small herons found in freshwater or brackish wetland-type habitats in the Americas. They are the smallest species of heron found within their range.

Least Bittern by Maureen Leong-Kee (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Least Bitterns are usually found in reed beds, sometimes over rather deep water. They can hunt for small prey like fish, frogs, and insects in water that is too deep for wading birds to enter. They perch on or straddle reeds and look down for prey. If they see something tasty, they stab into the water with their long, pointed beaks.

Tune in tomorrow to see #499! Wednesday we will reveal our 500th Birdorable!

We're adding new birds each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species! Today's Bonanza bird is the Hawfinch.

Look at that massive bill! Hawfinches are bulky birds, with large heads and stout bodies. Their large finch beaks have a metallic look to them. Hawfinches feed on hard seeds, including cherry pits and olive pits.

Hawfinch by  Francesco Veronesi (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Hawfinches are social, often feeding in groups -- especially in the winter. They tend to be shy around people, but will visit feeding stations that offer seeds.

Tomorrow we'll add a somewhat elusive species of heron found in the Americas. It's a small one!

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Happy Saturday! Today's Bonanza bird is the African Fish-Eagle.

African Fish-Eagles are large birds of prey that live in sub-Saharan parts of Africa. They eat a lot of fish (hence the name), but they will also steal prey from other birds or take a variety of other prey items including small turtles, other birds, or even monkeys.

African Fish-Eagle by Jason Wharam (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The African Fish-Eagle has a stable wild population in its rather large natural range. It is the national bird of three African nations: Zimbabwe, South Sudan, and Zambia.

Tomorrow we'll add a stocky finch species with a very, very big beak. This bird is found across parts of Europe and Asia.

There are just a few more days to go in our Bonanza! On Wednesday we will reveal our 500th bird, but today we introduce #26 in the Bonanza and #495 overall - the European Bee-eater.

The European Bee-eater is an extremely colorful species of bird that breeds across much of Europe. These striking feathered jewels are migratory and most spend the winter across the southern half of Africa. There are 26 species of bee-eater in the world. This family is appropriately named - they are known to eat a lot of bees!

European Bee-eater by Sandra (CC BY 2.0)

Bees have stingers and venom, so how do bee-eaters safely consume them? After a bee (or wasp or other stinging insect) is captured, the bird beats the insect on a hard surface. This act both removes the stinger and extracts most of the venom. Once this is complete, the insect is consumed. European Bee-eaters eat other insect too, but only flying ones. Prey is always captured on the wing -- perched insects are simply ignored!

Tomorrow's new species is a bird of prey from Africa that, like today's bee-eater, is named in part for what it likes to eat.

We're adding new birds each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species! Today's Bonanza bird is the Northern Gannet.

The Northern Gannet is a large species of seabird found around northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They breed off of North America and Europe.

Northern Gannet by Amy Evenstad (your blogger)

Northern Gannets feed in a spectacular fashion. They dive into the water to catch fish. A Northern Gannet may begin its dive from over 100 feet above the water, tucking their wings back and aiming down headfirst. They may reach speeds of 60 mph before hitting the water and diving down 15 feet or more. Once caught, the prey of the Northern Gannet is always consumed underwater.

Tomorrow's new bird is a very colorful European breeder that has a special fondness for a certain family of insects.

The end is in sight! We're continuing to add new birds and today's is the 24th species in the current Bonanza. Today's Bonanza bird is the Plain Chachalaca.

Plain Chachalacas are large grouse-like birds related to curassows and guans. They are found in a rather large range across much of eastern Central America and Mexico. Their range extends up to the southernmost tip of Texas, making the species a specialty sought-after by North American birders visiting the Lone Star State.

Plain Chachalaca by Vince Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Plain Chachalacas spend much of their time on the ground. Though they can fly, they have relatively weak wing muscles so they much prefer to get around on foot. They will even flee from danger by running rather than flying, if they can. They are also ground nesters.

Tomorrow's new species is a large seabird found in and around northern Atlantic waters.

Our Bonanza rolls on! We're adding new birds each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species! Today's Bonanza bird is the White-headed Duck.

White-headed Ducks are diving ducks. This means that they dive under the water for food. They are omnivorous, though they often prefer vegetation to taking prey. They are found in freshwater habitat in North Africa, Spain, and across central Asia.

White-headed Duck by Ferran Pestaña (CC BY-SA 2.0)

White-headed Ducks are in the "stiff-tailed" duck subfamily. This grouping includes the Ruddy Duck and the extinct New Zealand Stiff-tailed Duck.

Tomorrow's new species is considered to be a specialty for birders visiting south Texas. The name of this bird is an onomatopoeia for its loud song.

Happy Monday! Our 2013 Birdorable Bonanza continues today with our new bird, the Blue-winged Warbler.

The Blue-winged Warbler is a lovely species of New World warbler that breeds across a range in eastern North America. They are migratory; winters are spent in the Caribbean and Central America.

Blue-winged Warbler by Joseph F. Pescatore (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Blue-winged Warblers are closely related to Golden-winged Warblers. The two species often hybridize; offspring are called either "Brewster's Warbler" (who take after the Blue-winged parent) or "Lawrence's Warbler" (who more resemble the Golden-winged parent).

Tomorrow we'll add a species of duck that faces a threat from a very close relative.