Pink Pigeon

(Nesoenas mayeri)


Facts

Pink Pigeon IUCN ENDANGERED (EN)

 

Facts about this animal

The Pink Pigeon is about the size of a feral pigeon, with proportionately shorter wings and longer tail.

 

The plumage of head, neck and under parts is soft pink, the forehead is white, the mantle and upper back are brownish pink. The rump is pale bluish-grey, the wings are dark brown, and the uppertail coverts and tail are chestnut.

 

Pink Pigeons are perfectly adapted for foraging on fruits and leaves at the ends of the long, thin branches at the ends of native trees, but also forage on the ground, where their pink colour allows them to blend in perfectly with the dead and fallen leaves.

 

Pink Pigeons are territorial with males holding territories. Both males and females build nests together in the upper canopy of emergent endemic trees. They lay one to two eggs per clutch and take turn incubating and caring for the young. Incubation takes 14 days and the squabs usually take a further 27 days before they are ready to leave the nest. The fledglings stay with their parents for several weeks while they learn how to survive on their own.

Did you know?
that the pink pigeon is primarily threatened by predation by non-native animals like crab-eating macaques, feral cats and black rats? Conservation efforts include curbing populations of these non-native animals.


 

Factsheet
Class AVES
Order COLUMBIFORMES
Family COLUMBIDAE
Name (Scientific) Nesoenas mayeri
Name (English) Pink Pigeon
Name (French) Pigeon de Maurice
Name (German) Mauritiustaube, Rosataube
Name (Spanish) Paloma de Mauricio
CITES Status Appendix III (Mauritius and Danemark)
CMS Status Not listed

 

 

Photo Copyright by
Trisha Shears

Distribution

 


Distribution
Range Mauritius
Habitat Sub-tropical evergreen forest
Wild population Approx. 330
Zoo population 99 reported to ISIS (2005)

In the Zoo

Pink Pigeon

 

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 15 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

 

Find this animal on ZooLex

 

Photo Copyright by
Trisha Shears

Why do zoos keep this animal

In 1986 only 12 birds survived in the wild. In 1988 an International Studbook was established with a view of enhancing ex situ breeding from which birds could be retuend to the wild. As of today, there are four upland subpopulations in Mauritius(at Brise Fer, Pigeon Wood, Bel Ombre and Combo). In addition, a 5th subpopulation is doing well on the predator free island nature reserve of Ile aux Aigrettes. In total there are now about 320 wild Pink Pigeons at these sites.