The Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius) is an extinct North American bird species. It was the first known endemic North American bird to vanish after the Columbian Exchange. Details about its life and habits remain somewhat limited. Scientists have pieced together information from historical accounts and preserved specimens to understand this sea duck.
Geographical Range and Preferred Habitats
The Labrador Duck was a migratory sea duck found along the North American Atlantic coast. Its suspected breeding grounds were in northern regions, including Labrador and northern Quebec, and possibly on islands within the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Confirmed nesting records or detailed descriptions of its breeding biology are largely unknown.
It wintered along the eastern United States, from Nova Scotia down to the New England coast, Long Island, New Jersey, and as far south as Chesapeake Bay. The Labrador Duck preferred shallow, sheltered coastal environments, including sandy coasts, protected bays, harbors, inlets, and sandbars.
The duck’s diet heavily influenced its habitat choice. It primarily fed on small mollusks, such as mussels, and crustaceans found in shallow waters and sediment. Its bill was adapted for this specialized diet, featuring a wide, flattened tip with numerous internal lamellae, comb-like structures that filtered food from water and sediment. Fishermen occasionally caught these ducks on lines baited with mussels.
The Mystery of Its Disappearance
The Labrador Duck’s extinction in the late 19th century remains a subject of discussion, with several theories proposed. Its population was always considered rare, even before European settlement. Although hunted, the duck was not a highly sought-after game bird because its flesh was reportedly unappetizing and fetched a low market price.
One theory suggests that overharvesting of its eggs contributed to its decline. The feather trade may also have played a role in its breeding areas. Its highly specialized diet was another factor. Dependence on shallow-water mollusks made it vulnerable to changes in coastal ecosystems, such as shellfish population declines due to human activity, pollution, and industrial growth.
Its limited range along the American coast of the North Atlantic made it difficult for the species to adapt or find new suitable niches. The last confirmed specimen was shot in 1875 on Long Island, New York, and the last reported sighting occurred in 1878 in Elmira, New York. The exact causes of its disappearance are not fully known, but a combination of these factors likely led to its demise.