Most accurate dodo picture11/27/2023 With the size of a turkey (length: 70-75 cm, weight: 2.1-3.5 kg) they are the largest, still existing pigeon species. The Western crowned pigeon ( Goura cristata) is endemic to the lowland rainforests of the Indonesian Papua Province, whereas the Southern crowned pigeon ( Goura scheepmakeri) lives in the southern lowland forests of New Guinea and the Victoria crowned pigeon ( Goura victoria) in the lowland and swamp forests of northern New Guinea and surrounding islands. The three crowned pigeon species are alike and replace each other geographically. They are native to New Guinea and a few surrounding islands. canacorum) was described, which became extinct by overhunting around 500 BC.Ĭlosely related with the Nicobar pigeon and therefore also with the Dodo are the three species of crowned pigeons ( Goura). But from subfossil bones found on New Caledonia and Tonga, a second, extinct species, the Kanaka pigeon ( C. The Nicobar pigeon is the only living member of the genus Caloenas and is distinct from all other living pigeons since about 56-34 million years. A loose stick nest is built in the tree and one elliptical faintly blue-tinged white egg is laid. They breed in dense colonies on extremely small, wooded offshore islands. Unlike other pigeons, Nicobar pigeons fly mostly in columns or a single file.The pure white tail of this large, dark grey and green iridescent pigeon is prominent in flight and serves as a signal keeping flocks together. ![]() A gizzard stone helps to grind up hard food items. ![]() Its food consists of seeds, fruit and buds and likes especially grain on the fields. They roam in flocks from island to island, usually sleeping on offshore islets where no predators occur and spends the day in areas with better food availability. The Nicobar pigeon ( Caloenas nicobarica) found on small islands and in coastal regions in Southeast Asia. Their closest still living genetic relatives are the Southeast Asian Nicobar pigeon ( Caloenas nicobarica), followed by the Crowned pigeons ( Goura spec.) from New Guinea. ![]() Its closest relatives are the Malagasy sacred ibis ( Threskiornis bernieri), the African sacred ibis ( Threskiornis aethiopicus) and the Straw-necked ibis ( Threskiornis spinicollis).īut the both birds from Mauritius and Rodrigues, the Dodo and the Solitaire, belong genetically definitely to the pigeons and doves and form in this group the special subfamily Raphinae. In 1987, this extinct ibis, endemic to the island of Réunion, was first scientifically described as Réunion ibis ( Threskiornis solitarius). First subfossil remains which are found in 1974, they showed that the bird which was originally called a White Dodo or Solitaire in reality was a large, almost flightless ibis. Therefore it is hard to imagine that Réunion have been colonized by flightless birds from these both islands. But whereas Mauritius and Rodrigues, with each their flightless Raphine species, are 8-10 million years old, the volcanic island of Réunion is only 3 million years old. Several paintings and drawings of Dodo(Click to view larger image).īesides a third species, the White Dodo ( Raphus solitarius), was described as an endemic species on Réunion Island, which is near to Mauritius.
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