Description
Lifespan: 8-12 years
Mostly found in South East Asia and Oceania, the Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is a large, beautiful bird. The grey head and upper neck feathers of Nicobar pigeons, which change to green and copper hackles, have developed into a bright plumage. The tail is short and entirely white. Metallic green makes up the rest of their feathers. The robust legs and feet are dull red, and the cere of the dark bill forms a little knobby black spot. The bill knob, hackles, and underparts of females are all significantly smaller than those of males, and they also have browner underparts. Birds in their immature stages have black tails and almost no iridescence.
Habitat/Native Region
From the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India east through the Malay Archipelago to the Solomon Islands and Palau, Nicobar pigeons can be found on tiny islands and in coastal areas. They live in shrubland, mangroves, dry woods, and rainforests.
Behavior
The highly migratory Nicobar pigeons travel in flocks from island to island, typically sleeping on offshore islets where lack predators. During the day, they spend time in places with superior food availability and do not avoid human settlements. Nicobar pigeons prefer to feed alone or in couples and are most active at dawn and dusk.
Despite the fact that these birds spend much of their time on the forest floor, they are strong fliers. As is typical of pigeons in general, their flying is swift, with regular beats and an occasional rapid flick of the wings. Instead of flying in a free flock like other pigeons, Nicobar pigeon groups typically fly in columns or single file. When viewed from behind, the white tail stands out in flight and could act as a sort of ‘taillight’ to keep flocks together when flying over the water at dawn or twilight. The highly talkative Nicobar pigeons make a low-pitched, repeating call to communicate with one another.
Care as Pet
Enclosure
The Enclosure includes a lot of vegetation, including ferns, and a dirt floor. The aviary is lined with sticks and small rocks, while in the middle are larger rocks covered in moss. The cage gives of a sense of their natural woodland environment of the Nicobar pigeons, who are native to small coastal islands.
Diet and Nutrition
Nicobar pigeons are herbivores (frugivores, granivores). Their major sources of food are fruit, seeds, and buds, with insects on occasion.
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