The Last Carolina Parakeet Dies

February 21, 1918:

The last Carolina Parakeet dies in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo.  The Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis)^{[Note 1]} was the only parrot species native to the eastern United States. It was found from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf of Mexico, and lived in old forests along rivers. It was the only species at the time classified in the genus Conuropsis. It was called puzzi la née ("head of yellow") or pot pot chee by the Seminole and kelinky in Chikasha. The last wild specimen was killed in Okeechobee County, Florida, in 1904, and the last captive bird died at the Cincinnati Zoo on February 21, 1918. This was the male specimen "Incas," who died within a year of his mate "Lady Jane." Coincidentally, Incas died in the same aviary cage in which the last Passenger Pigeon, "Martha," had died nearly four years prior. It was not until 1939, however, that it was determined that the Carolina Parakeet had become extinct.

I hadn't heard of the Carolina Parakeet, but I did think that the last passenger pigeon died at the Cincinnati Zoo.  I guess I was right about that.  I'm not sure if that meant the Cincinnati Zoo had some extremely rare specimens, they didn't do a very good job of breeding them, or both.