Summary

Nicobar Pigeons are a large pigeon species with a grey head and distinctive white tail feathers. This taxidermy mount has been reconstructed with brown eyes as it is male. Females have white eyes.

They naturally occur on small islands from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from which they take their name, east through southeast Asia to the Solomon Islands.

Nicobar Pigeons are the closest living relative of the extinct Dodo. Like the Dodo they are vulnerable to the destruction of their habitat, largely by logging or construction and to hunting. They are also vulnerable to predators, such as cats or rats, introduced to their islands and as they nest and breed in large colonies even a single predator can do immense damage to their populations.

Though common in parts of their range the species is generally rare and populations are declining. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) therefore considers Nicobar Pigeons Near Threatened. They are also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to ensure that international trade does not threaten them with extinction.

Specimen Details

Taxonomy

Geospatial Information

  • Precise Location

    Unknown locality