Metallic Pigeon

Overview

The metallic pigeon, Columba vitiensis, also known as the white-throated pigeon, is a medium-sized bird in the family Columbidae. It forms a chain of subspecies that once extended from Japan to Australia, with some subspecies currently extinct.

Identification

• Iridescent purple and green crown with black wings and uppertail coverts.
• Features a yellowish-red iris, yellow bill, and red orbital skin.
• White or grey chin and ear coverts, with purplish feet.
• Underparts range from dull chestnut to glossed purple-green, depending on the subspecies.

Habitat

Distributed across the islands of Indomalaya, Australasia, and Oceania, occupying a wide elevational range from coastal mangroves to montane forests up to 2,750 meters. It primarily prefers tropical forests but is adaptable, often found in degraded forests and edge habitats, sometimes near human settlements on smaller islands.

Diet

The diet consists mainly of various fruits, grains, seeds, and berries. These birds are nomadic, engaging in irregular local movements between islands to search for food.

Did you know?

The subspecies C. v. godmanae, the Lord Howe pigeon, has been extinct since approximately 1853 and its existence is known only from early accounts and a painting by Raper.