Nicobar Pigeon
Caloenas nicobarica
The Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is a rare doves and pigeon found in 12 countries, weighing about 538 g. The Nicobar pigeon or Nicobar dove is a bird found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Indonesian Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau.
About the Nicobar Pigeon
The Nicobar pigeon or Nicobar dove is a bird found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Indonesian Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas alongside the extinct spotted green pigeon and Kanaka pigeon, and is the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and Rodrigues solitaire.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
It is a large pigeon, measuring 32–35 cm (13–14 in) in length. The head is grey, like the upper neck plumage, which turns into green and copper hackles. The tail is short and pure white. The rest of its plumage is metallic green, appearing black in dull light. The cere of the dark bill forms a small blackish knob; the strong legs and feet are dull red. The irises are dark. Females, weighing 490–600 g, are on average slightly larger than the 460–525 g males, but with much overlap; they have a smaller bill knob, shorter hackles and browner underparts.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Nicobar Pigeon can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Nicobar Pigeon?
- It is a large pigeon, measuring 32–35 cm (13–14 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Nicobar Pigeon?
- The Nicobar Pigeon is a large sized bird weighing about 538 g.
- Where can you see a Nicobar Pigeon?
- The Nicobar Pigeon occurs in 12 countries, including Palau, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, India and Indonesia.
- What birds look similar to a Nicobar Pigeon?
- The Nicobar Pigeon is most easily confused with the Olive-backed Quail-Dove, the Stephan's Emerald Dove and the Mariana Fruit Dove.
- Is the Nicobar Pigeon endangered?
- The Nicobar Pigeon is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Nicobar Pigeon for real
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