Nicobar Pigeon

pigeon · tropical islands · dodo relative · rare bird

Island Explorer. The Nicobar pigeon lives on small islands and coastal areas spread across the Indian Ocean and Pacific, from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands near India all the way east to Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Palau.

Glimmering Feathers. This pigeon has stunning iridescent feathers that shimmer with greens, purples, and bronzes as it moves, making it look like it's covered in jewels.

Dodo's Closest Cousin. The Nicobar pigeon is the living bird most closely related to the dodo, an extinct bird that lived on islands off Africa and cannot be found anywhere in the world today.

Alone in Its Genus. It is the only living pigeon in its scientific group called Caloenas, though two other pigeons in this group, the spotted green pigeon and Kanaka pigeon, went extinct long ago.