Heath Hen: Martha’s Vineyard’s Last Dance
These ground-dwelling birds once flourished along the Atlantic coast. Early settlers hunted them extensively for meat. By the early 1900s, only a small population remained on Martha’s Vineyard. Conservation efforts seemed promising until fire, harsh weather, disease, and predators decimated the survivors. The last known Heath Hen, a male nicknamed “Booming Ben,” called for mates that would never come before disappearing in 1932.