Nicobar pigeon

The Nicobar pigeon is the only member of the Caloenas genus and is believed to be the only living relative of the poor dodo, as well as a creature called the Rodrigues solitaire. It’s famous for its amazing, glittery feathers, but unfortunately hunted for food and its gem-quality gizzard stone.

4 Amazing Nicobar Pigeon Facts

• The bird’s gizzard stone is so hard that it can grind nuts that humans need a hammer to crack, and it’s made into jewelry. The gizzard is one of the adaptations the bird has for grinding down seeds and nuts that might otherwise be too hard to eat.
• It is the world’s largest pigeon.
• When the Nicobar pigeon wants to startle predators, it makes a sound like a pig grunting.
• Both parents feed their squab with “pigeon milk.”

What Does the Nicobar Pigeon Have to Do with the Dodo Bird?

The Nicobar pigeon is the extinct dodo’s closest living relative. Both of them are/were members of the Columbidae family. Many people are surprised that the ugly, flightless, turkey-sized dodo was a type of dove, but it was!

Where To Find the Nicobar Pigeon

The Nicobar pigeon can be found in the lowland rainforests, dry forests, shrublands, and mangroves on the islands in the Malay Archipelago, in Palau, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, among others. An especially large colony was found in a wildlife sanctuary on Battimalv, one of the Nicobar Islands. There are also populations in the south of Vietnam and Cambodia. There have been rare vagrant sightings of Nicobar pigeons in Western Australia, but no established populations exist there.

Nicobar Pigeon Nests

Nicobar pigeon nests are made of twigs and built high in the trees. They are just sturdy enough to keep the egg from falling out and bear the weight of the parents as they incubate it.

Nicobar Pigeon Scientific Name

The pigeon’s scientific name is Caloenas nicobarica. Caloenas comes from the Greek words kalos, which means “beautiful,” and oinas, which means “dove,” and it is indeed a beautiful dove. Nicobarica means that it’s from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. One subspecies, Caloenas nicobarica pelewensis, gets its name because it’s found on the island of Palau. Another subspecies is C.n. nicobarica.

Nicobar Pigeon Appearance

One of the most beautiful characteristics of the Nicobar pigeon is the beautiful, iridescent feathers on its wings and body. Other characteristics are its long hackles, which are sometimes kept permanently erected, and its short, pure white tail. Besides that, it is the largest extant pigeon and can grow to nearly 16 inches in length and weigh over a pound, with a wingspan of 21 to 23 inches.

The pigeon has a long, thin neck and a slender head, and its bill is ornamented with a knob or an upright wattle that’s especially prominent in males. Its long, strong feet and legs are reddish. The tail is short and pure white and is only seen in adults. Scientists believe that this white tail is one of the adaptations that foster flock cohesiveness. It serves as a guiding light when the birds are flying and lets members of the flock know that the bird is an adult and should not be courted or followed.

Nicobar Pigeon Behavior

The pigeon flies from island to island in search of food. Though it’s a strong flyer, it forages nuts, seeds, and fallen fruit on the forest floor from sunup till sundown. Foraging on the ground is one of the adaptations that make the bird hard to see, for the shade thrown by the trees dulls the colors of its feathers. It builds its nest high in the trees, and unlike some birds, a mated pair doesn’t mind if another pair builds its nest in the same tree. Eventually, there can be large colonies of these birds nesting close together.

What Does the Nicobar Pigeon Eat?

The diet of this pigeon is made up of grains, seeds, nuts, buds, berries, and invertebrates.

Nicobar Pigeon Predators and Threats

Humans are the main predators of Nicobar pigeons. They are hunted for their meat and their gizzard stones and trapped for the illegal pet trade. They are preyed upon by rats and pets such as cats.

The destruction of its habitat is also blamed for the decline in the pigeon’s numbers. This includes clearing the land for plantations and pollution caused by industry.

Nicobar Pigeon Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Nicobar pigeons usually breed from January to March. The male struts before the female and puffs out his feathers to impress her. He might need to do this for some days before she accepts him, but if she does, they are mated for life, as Nicobar pigeons are monogamous. He then chooses the site of the nest, which is between 6.5 and 39 feet off the ground, and she builds a rather haphazard nest of twigs. There she will lay a single, blue-tinted egg that both parents incubate for about a month.

Nicobar squabs are helpless when they are born and are fed crop milk until they can take seeds and fruit. Their feathers start to come in when they’re about 10 days old, and they can feed themselves when they’re about a month old. The lifespan of a Nicobar pigeon is about 8 to 12 years in the wild, but they can live as long as 15 years in captivity if they’re given good care.

Nicobar Pigeon Population

The total population of the species and subspecies hasn’t been determined, but past estimates suggested up to 1,000 individuals of C.n. pelewensis on Palau, though current numbers may be lower due to ongoing threats. The Nicobar pigeon is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.