The heath hen was the northeastern U.S. subspecies of prairie chicken that went extinct in 1932.
Scientifically called Tympanuchus cupido cupido, it lived in coastal scrub and heathland from southern New Hampshire to Virginia. It was related to the greater prairie-chicken, which still survives in parts of central North America.
Colonial settlers hunted heath hens heavily because they were abundant and inexpensive. By 1870, the birds had disappeared from the mainland, leaving a small population on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Conservation efforts created a reserve, but the population continued to decline.
The last known bird was a male nicknamed “Booming Ben.” He was last seen on March 11, 1932. The heath hen is sometimes confused with the greater prairie-chicken itself, but it was classified as a distinct subspecies, although some taxonomists have debated whether it deserves full species status.