Nicobar Pigeon
Caloenas nicobarica

Range and population

Caloenas nicobarica occurs on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India), Mergui archipelago (Myeik Kyunzu) (Myanmar), islands off south-west peninsular Thailand, islands around Peninsular Malaysia, islands off southern Cambodia and Vietnam, islands around Sumatra, Wallacea and Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Indonesia, possibly also East Timor, many islands in the Philippines, islands in Papua New Guinea and throughout the Solomon Islands, plus Palau (race pelewensis). It normally breeds, often in dense colonies, on extremely small, wooded offshore islands and forages in situ or on adjacent mainland (or larger island) areas. Trapping for food, the pet trade and perhaps their gizzard-stones is a serious threat, as is clearance of small islands for plantations and, almost certainly, the colonisation of such islands by rats, cats and other alien predators. The race pelewensis may still number up to 1,000 birds. CITES Appendix I.

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