Nicobar Pigeon

Description:

Why can't the pigeons of North America be this cool? This is the nicobar pigeon, found at the Sedgwick Zoo. These guys are really interesting, not just because of their color but because they are in the genus Caloenas all on their own. Their closest relative is actually the dodo, which, when you look at the dodo like a flightless pigeon their extinction just makes so much more sense. It's also a relative to the Rodriques solitaire, another extinct dodo-esque pigeon, and the nicobar pigeon is itself listed as Near Threatened. This group just has no luck. Fun story, one of these attacked me. Got all in my face and was flapping its wings. A zookeeper came to my aid but I nearly had to punch a bird.

Habitat:

found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Malay Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau.