07-23-2018, 04:47 PM
Wikipedia lists 19 bird species driven to extinction prior to western contact and 27 species post contact. The native Hawaiians accomplished 2/3s of what Europeans did in terms of driving birds to extinction with a stone age culture, a fraction of the population of today, and no industry. It would be an exaggeration to say they were trying to kill them off but it clearly is not an exaggeration to say that they did not exercise the high ideals of stewardship for all living things that is so often ascribed to ancient cultures. They protected what they needed (except for those red finches) and probably ate many flightless birds into extinction.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ex...slandsedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ex...slandsedia