Microgoura meeki
The Choiseul Pigeon, *Microgoura meeki*, was a striking and enigmatic ground-dwelling pigeon endemic to Choiseul Island in the Solomon Islands, now tragically considered extinct. This large and robust pigeon measured approximately 31 cm (12 inches) in length, characterized by its distinctive, elaborate pale blue-grey crest that resembled a helmet, rising prominently from its head. Its plumage was largely slaty-blue to blackish across the upperparts, contrasting with rich reddish-brown underpa...
The Choiseul Pigeon inhabited lowland primary forests, often favoring areas with dense undergrowth and potentially swampy conditions on Choiseul Island.
Its diet is inferred to have consisted primarily of fallen fruits and seeds, supplemented possibly by small invertebrates, foraged directly from the forest floor.
Due to its extinction shortly after discovery, detailed behavioral observations of the Choiseul Pigeon are entirely lacking, and much must be inferred from its morphology and comparison to extant ground pigeons. It is presumed to have been a largely terrestrial species, spending most of its time ...
The Choiseul Pigeon was strictly endemic to Choiseul Island, one of the larger islands in the Solomon Islands archipelago, located in Oceania. Its entire known historical range was confined to the lowland primary forests of this single island. There were no records of its presence on any other is...
Extinct
- The Choiseul Pigeon is known from a single complete specimen, a male collected in 1904, making it one of the most enigmatic extinct birds. - Its species name, *meeki*, honors Albert S. Meek, the collector who first discovered this unique bird. - The pigeon's most striking feature was its distin...