"Dusky" Seaside Sparrow

Extinct Animal of the Week: "Dusky" Seaside Sparrow. This bird was directly killed by people's entitlement to have waterfront property. Florida in the 60's was a great example of this trend kicking into full gear. The state decided to turn it's marshlands into profitable land for development, which meant destroying everything currently there with insecticides. This poisoned the Seaside Sparrow and frankly any animal that consumes insects. The final nail in the coffin came from controlled flooding by humans to further diminish the mosquito population. Wetlands are incredibly important to the ecosystem and need to be preserved. Maybe live without a shorefront condo?