Nicobar Pigeon

The Nicobar pigeon is a large pigeon 32–35 cm long, the only living member of its genus apart from two extinct species, and the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and Rodrigues solitaire. The head is grey, like the upper neck, which turns into green and copper hackles, and the short tail is pure white. The rest of the plumage is metallic green, looking black in dull light, and the dark bill has a small blackish knob at the cere. Females weigh 490–600 g and males 460–525 g (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is found on small islands and coasts from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands east through the Indonesian archipelago to the Solomons and Palau. It is very vocal, with a low, repetitive call, builds a loose stick nest in a tree and lays one egg. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami did massive damage on the Nicobar Islands. SoIB 2023 rates it a Moderate conservation priority, with a Restricted range in India of about 2,300 km² (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).