Beautiful and rare pigeon
When mentioning pigeons, many people will immediately think of birds with rather monotonous colored feathers, with common colors including gray, pure black, mottled black and white or pure white feathers all over the body...
Few people know that in Vietnam there is a species of pigeon that possesses beautiful and colorful feathers. That is the Nicobar pigeon, also known as the collared pigeon, scientific name Caloenas nicobarica.
Nicobar pigeons have iridescent, colorful plumage with long neck feathers that extend down to their breast (Photo: iStock).
The name of this pigeon comes from the place where they were first discovered, the Nicobar Islands, located in the eastern Indian Ocean and part of India. In addition, this pigeon is also found in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.
In Vietnam, Nicobar pigeons are only found in Con Dao National Park, in Con Dao special zone (HCMC).
The Nicobar Pigeon has a bright and beautiful appearance, with a long neck that hangs down over the breast and back. The bird has a grey head and a multi-coloured plumage, a combination of grey, blue, green, yellow and light orange. The bird's tail is pure white, but is only visible when the bird has its feathers fluffed or from behind when flying.
An individual Nicobar pigeon with orange plumage (Photo: iNaturalist).
The Nicobar Pigeon is large, measuring 32 to 35cm in length, with females weighing 490 to 600g, while males are smaller, weighing 460 to 525g. Juveniles are black or grey in colour, lacking the iridescent colour of adults.
This bird lives alone or in small flocks in the moist tropical forests of the islands, at altitudes below 700m. They are very shy and often hide in the dense foliage, making them difficult to see.
The food of this bird includes seeds, fruits, young shoots, and insects.
The Nicobar pigeon's long neck feathers resemble flowing hair (Photo: David Bishop).
Nicobar pigeons breed in April or May each year, laying only one egg at a time. The eggs usually hatch after 30 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents and fledge after about 5 to 6 weeks, but sometimes they stay with their parents for more than 10 weeks before starting independent life.
Close-up of Nicobar pigeon in the wild ( Video : eBird).
Animals are strictly protected by Vietnamese law.
In Vietnam, Nicobar pigeons are only recorded on a few small islands in Con Dao National Park (HCMC), with an estimated distribution area of less than 100km2 .
According to the Vietnam Red Book, the population size of the Nicobar pigeon is less than 2,500 individuals, the number of mature individuals in each subpopulation is estimated to be less than 100. The number of this bird species is threatened due to habitat impacts from tourism activities. In addition, this bird species is also hunted for ornamental purposes.
The Nicobar pigeon is considered one of the most beautiful birds in the world (Photo: iNaturalist).
Currently, it is very difficult to see the Nicobar pigeon in the natural environment in Vietnam. Therefore, the Vietnam Red Book classifies this bird as an "Endangered" animal, facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild if there are no appropriate conservation measures.
According to Circular 27/2025/TT-BNNMT regulating the management of endangered, precious, and rare species; effective from July 1, the Nicobar pigeon is classified in group IB animals, a group of endangered, precious, rare wild animals, at very high risk of extinction and in need of priority protection.
Vietnamese law completely prohibits the hunting, captivity, possession, transportation, consumption or trade of animals in group IB, except in cases of special permission for conservation purposes, scientific research or non-commercial activities.
Nicobar pigeons are strictly protected by Vietnamese law, prohibiting all hunting, transporting, trading... (Photo: Jason Vassallo).
All acts of hunting, trading, transporting or consuming animals in group IB are strictly prohibited. Violators can be fined from 500 million to billions of VND and imprisoned from 1 to 15 years, depending on the severity of the violation.
Therefore, the acts of hunting, transporting, killing or consuming Nicobar pigeons are illegal and strictly prohibited. People need to understand clearly to avoid getting into trouble with the law.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/loai-chim-bo-cau-tuyet-dep-duoc-phap-luat-viet-nam-bao-ve-nghiem-ngat-20251122033827120.htm
Comment (0)