Nicobar Pigeons
(Columbidae - Please see also Doves)
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The Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird on small uninhabited islands in Indonesia and the Nicobar Islands. It is the only member of the genus Caloenas.
The Nicobar Pigeon roams in flocks from island to island, including inhabited sites, seeking its food of seeds, fruit and some invertebrates, and is attracted to areas where grain is available.
Comparison of mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA sequences (Shapiro et al., 2002) suggests the Nicobar Pigeon is the closest living relative of the Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire. This does not actually imply a very close relationship, and at any rate, molecular phylogeny of the Indo-Australian pigeons has yielded wildly differing results depending on the gene sequence analyzed.
From subfossil bones found on New Caledonia and Tonga, an extinct species, the Greater Maned Pigeon (Caloenas canacorum) was described. It was a sizeable bird, about one-quarter larger than the Nicobar Pigeon. Considering that it must have been a good source of food, it was most likely hunted to extinction by the first human settlers of the islands where it occurred.
Description:
This is a large, heavy pigeon at 40cm in length. It is mainly metallic green with green and copper hackles on the neck. The head and upper neck, flight feathers and breast are dark grey. The tail is very short and pure white. There is a black knob on the base of the bill, and the strong legs are dark red.
Females are slightly smaller than males; they have a smaller bill knob, shorter hackles and browner underparts. Immature birds have a black tail.
Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.
Call / Vocalization:
This is not a very vocal species, but the call is a coo-coo-coo.
Nesting / Breeding:
This species nests in dense forest, building a stick nest in a tree and laying one elliptical, faintly blue-tinged white egg.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Personality & Pet Potential:
Elizabeth Young, Mickaboo Pigeon & Dove Coordinator, provides the following info:
Pigeons need:
- Safe place (indoors or outdoors, protected from weather and predators)
- Room to move (a space that is 3’ high, 3’ wide, 6’ long is good for 1 to 2 birds)
- Fresh food (pigeon feed), water, grit & greens daily
- Easy clean-up floor &/or Pigeon Pants (www.birdwearonline.com)
- Company (either yours or another pigeon’s)
- Family planning (if you have a mated pair, you need to replace real eggs w/ fake ones)
- Avian Vet Care if they become sick or injured
To adopt a pigeon, contact Elizabeth at AdoptKings@gmail.com or (415) 420-7204
For more info:
- Come meet King Pigeons at Andy’s Pet Shop on 1280 The Alameda (at Julian) in San Jose
- Visit Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue at www.mickaboo.org
- Check out www.pigeons.biz/forums (a great web group with lots of info and resources) Read about King Pigeon rescue at www.RescueReport.org
Pigeon Rescue:
Mickaboo Pigeon & Dove Coordinator - Contact: Elizabeth Young
Relevant Web Resources: The Dove Page ... whozoo.org ... Mangoverde
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