IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Birds
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
This rare pigeon prefers evergreen and coastal forests and is only found today on the island of Mauritius.
Pink pigeons are herbivorous, eating buds, flowers, leaves, shoots, fruits and seeds.
Interesting facts!
- The voice of the pink pigeon consists of a flight call that sounds like “hoo hoo”.
- A male and a female will generally mate for life. The female usually lays two white eggs and incubation duration is two weeks.
Conservation
Despite appearances, only 2% of Mauritian forest remains, with the lush green landscape seen by tourists being made up of introduced trees and plantations. Habitat loss and introduced predators were the main reasons for the pink pigeons’ decline.
For over 3 years, Wild Planet Trust bird specialists have been working in Mauritius to share their knowledge and experience with their field based colleagues, to improve the wild numbers of the pink pigeon. The pink pigeons at the zoo are also part of the EAZA ex-situ breeding programme (EEP) for the species.