On
this website we have talked about the presence of some
rare pigeon species and as well as those that are already
extinct. In this article we will be identifying many of the
rarest pigeons on earth and we will also give a brief description of them. However, just a disclaimer though, the purpose of this article is not to give you an idea of a shopping list as to which rare pigeon to buy for your personal endeavors but this article is to provide you information and awareness of the present condition of these rare pigeons and how much they are endangered so that you will also take part in
protecting them in your own way. Be aware that the list of pigeons mentioned below is truly endangered and any of them could perish anytime if any further hunt will be committed.
It has always been our moral obligation as more powerful creatures on earth to protect those creatures that are weaker than us and to prevent any possibilities of extinction and to preserve all creatures on earth as possible. As humans we have a task to safeguard all that lives in this planet and that would include
saving the pigeon species as well from the brink of utter destruction. The best way to start out effectively in our moral responsibility to protect is to know first the creatures that we have to protect. The idea of this article is to enlighten the readers the real endangered state of the species that are going to be mentioned and hopefully it will foster critical thinking and initiative to look for ways on how to truly protect them and eventually save their species of endangerment.
Here are just some but not all of the species of pigeons that are endangered:
1. African Green Pigeon
Its scientific name is
Treron Calvus and they are species member of the columbidae family. The
African green pigeons are endemically found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, etc. Despite their presence in many countries within Africa, their total number of population is to small that it almost reaches the unviable stage.
2. Band Tailed Pigeon
The
Patagioenas Fasciata are average sized birds found in America. These rare birds are close relatives to the
Chilean pigeons and
Ring-tailed pigeons which are more common in the southern continent. These species form the clade of Patagioenas with the distinguishable trait of a terminal tail band as well as their lustrous plumage in the neck area.
3. Banded Imperial
The scientific name of the banded imperial is
Ducula Zoeae. They are also commonly known as the
Zoe Imperial Pigeons. They too are members of the columbidae family.
4. Beautiful Fruit Dove
The
beautiful fruit doves are rarely distributed species of pigeons in the New Guinea rainforests. They are also found in the islands of Bantata, Salawati, Waigeo, West Papua Indonesia. The female of this species would periodically lay a single white egg in every year.
5. Black Billed Wood
Turtur Abyssinicus are pigeon species found widespread in the African continent and in the Sahara desert. They are able to survive extreme conditions. The
black billed wood doves usually dwell in warmer areas for habitation. But their meat are constantly being sought as an ingredient to certain delicacies.
6. The Birmingham Roller
They are actually a breed of highly domesticated pigeons. They are said to originally come from England. They were said to be once developed breeds. They are selected for their unique abilities when flying. They have the ability to rapidly fly backwards and do somersault.
7. The Capuchine Pigeon
Are actually derived pigeons from selective breeding for the purpose of reproducing offspring which would manifest more unique iridescent characteristics. These fancy birds are usually sought and purchased for exhibition purposes for their lustrous appearance and brightly colored feathers. This pigeon's plumage resembles a Dutch's fur overcoat hence the name, the
Old Dutch Capuchine Pigeon.
8. Choiseul Crested
These pigeons are actually considered to be extinct species of pigeons at some point until some of them resurfaced around mid 1900's somewhere in the Solomon Islands of Choiseul near the pacific. These species of pigeons were once hunted down for their
delectable meats as an ingredient to certain exotic delicacies across the globe. This breed pigeons would have followed after its descendants, the
passenger pigeons which have gone extinct during the early 1900's.
9. Dodo Pigeon
These pigeons are literally descendants of the first flightless and huge birds on earth, the dodo. Their appearance also looks just as the same only miniature. These birds are also flightless like their predecessors and are native to the place of Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean.
10. Galapagos Doves
These are very rare types of pigeons that are only endemic and of course naturally only found in the Galapagos Islands, somewhere near Ecuador of South America. This species of birds are amongst the first subjects of Charles Darwin's initial theories of evolution along with the Galapagos turtles.
11. The Mindanao Bleeding Heart Pigeon
The
gallicolumba pigeon (Gallicolumba Crinegera) is species of birds that belong also the Columbidae family. They are endemic only to the island of Mindanao in Philippines. However, some of the species are bred in captivity and they have scattered across the Philippine archipelago.
12. Madagascar Green Pigeons
Are actually species of birds that still belong to the family of Columbidaes. They are naturally found in the island of Madagascar, Mayotte, and Comoros.
13. The Mariana Fruit Dove
Known for their other Carolinian name Mwee'mwe
(Ptilinopus roseicapilla) are actually species of birds that mainly feed on fruit vegetations and are endemic in the Mariana's islands. They are usually small and could only range from 22-24 cm long.
14. Tippler Pigeon
This breed of
highly domesticated pigeons is usually bred to compete in
bird racing and
endurance sports. There have been reports that the pigeon can fly non-stop up to 22 hours.
