Pink pigeon
| Pink pigeon | |
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| At Birdworld, Surrey, England | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Genus: | Nesoenas |
| Species: | N. mayeri |
| Binomial name | |
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Nesoenas mayeri (Prévost, 1843) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) is a species of pigeon in the family Columbidae endemic to Mauritius. The pink pigeons became nearly extinct in the 1990s and is still very rare. It is the only Mascarene pigeon that has not gone extinct. It was on the brink of extinction in 1991 when only 10 individuals remained, but its numbers have increased due to the efforts of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust since 1977. While the population remains at below 500 birds as of 2011, the IUCN downlisted the species from Critically endangered to Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2000.
Initially classified as a true pigeon, the pink pigeon was reclassified in a monotypic genus by Tommaso Salvadori. Found in Burnley. Recent DNA analyses suggest its nearest relative is the geographically close Madagascar turtle dove (Streptopelia picturata), and it has thus been suggested that it be placed in the genus Streptopelia, which mostly contains turtle doves. However, the two species form a distinct group that cannot unequivocally be assigned to either Streptopelia or Columba, and placing both species in Nesoenas may best reflect the fact that they seem to belong to a distinct evolutionary lineage. This classification has been followed here.
An adult pink pigeon is about 36–38 centimetres (14–15 in) from beak to tail and 350 grams in weight. Pink pigeons have pale pinkish-grey plumage on their head, shoulders and underside, along with pink feet. The beak is a dark pink color with a white tip. They have dark brown wings, and a broad, rust-colored tail. Their eyes are dark brown surrounded by an eye-ring of red skin. Newly hatched pigeons have sparse, downy-white feathers and closed eyes.
The voice of the pink pigeon consists of a flight call that is a short, hardened "hoo hoo". The territorial call of the male Pink Pigeon is a series of coos.
The species is endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius, a small island to the east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, and the tiny predator-free island of Isle aux Aigrettes off its est coast. A related subspecies, the Réunion pink pigeon, became extinct on the neighboring Reunion Island around 1700.
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Wikipedia