The Nicobar pigeon is the closest living relative to the legendary, extinct dodo bird.

Nature · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: With its metallic green plumage and distinct white tail, the Nicobar pigeon is a striking island nomad. While it looks like a typical bird, it holds a unique evolutionary secret: it is the nearest surviving cousin to the famous dodo and the Rodrigues solitaire, linking it to a lost avian lineage.

The Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is a singular species, currently the only living member of its genus. Its evolutionary history is deeply tied to the extinct didines, a group that includes the dodo (Raphus cucullatus). While early molecular clocks used to date their divergence were later found to be unreliable, current evidence suggests this lineage has been distinct since the Eocene epoch, roughly 56 to 34 million years ago. This bird is part of a diverse Indopacific radiation of pigeons, and its unique physical traits suggest it may constitute its own monotypic subfamily within the Columbidae family.

Physically, the bird is a large pigeon, measuring 32 to 35 cm in length. It possesses a grey head, metallic green plumage that can appear black in dull light, and a short, pure white tail. This tail acts as a visual signal; adults use it to identify flock members during high-altitude flights between islands, while juveniles lack the white feathers, signaling their immaturity to the rest of the group. Females are generally slightly larger than males, weighing between 490 and 600 grams, compared to the 460 to 525 grams of their male counterparts.

Despite its wide range across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Malay Archipelago, and as far as the Solomon Islands and Palau, the species faces significant threats. It is currently classified as near threatened by the IUCN. While international trade is prohibited under CITES Appendix I, the birds are still hunted for food and their gizzard stones. More critically, their nesting habitat on offshore islets is shrinking due to logging, construction, and the introduction of predators. Although the birds are resilient—demonstrating rapid vegetation recovery after the 2004 tsunami—their long-term survival remains in jeopardy as their isolated breeding grounds continue to disappear.

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