Nicobar Pigeon

The closest living relative of the extinct dodo and Rodrigues solitaire is this heavy, dark pigeon with a short white tail. It nests and roosts in colonies on small, undisturbed islets and flies across open sea, often in flocks, to feed in the forests of larger islands nearby.

• Its thick-walled gizzard holds a stone that helps grind hard nuts and seeds, and people have hunted the bird for this stone, which is used in jewellery.
• Young birds have a dark, greenish-black tail; the white tail comes only with adult plumage.
• It is the only living member of its genus; a relative, the spotted green pigeon, is known from a single museum skin.
• The IUCN lists the species as Near Threatened across its range.

Nicobar Pigeon is diurnal, roosting in trees after ground foraging.

Habitat: coastal forest, island woodland, and offshore islet habitat

Native range: Indian Ocean and western Pacific islands

Nicobar Pigeon feeds on fallen fruit, seeds, nuts, and occasional small invertebrates.

Nicobar Pigeon is diurnal, roosting in trees after ground foraging.

Wild lifespan has not been measured. In zoos the birds commonly live 10 to 15 years, and some are reported to have lived longer.

In each breeding attempt, females lay a single egg in a loose stick nest. The nest is placed in a tree or bush, from a couple of metres up. Both parents incubate the white egg, for roughly four weeks in captive pairs, and feed the chick on crop milk.

In plumage the sexes are broadly similar, with females sometimes slightly smaller. Females also tend to have shorter neck hackles and a smaller knob at the base of the bill.

Rarity: Rare · 75/100. Nicobar Pigeon is never easy to find and becomes less secure when coastal forest, island woodland, and offshore islet habitat is reduced or fragmented.

• Keep distance and let the animal choose the space.
• Avoid blocking movement routes, nesting areas, or feeding behavior.
• Use optics, patience, and quiet observation instead of crowding for a closer view.