Caloenas maculata
The Spotted Green Pigeon (Caloenas maculata) is an enigmatic and critically important species, known only from two existing museum specimens collected in the late 18th or early 19th century, making it one of the most mysterious extinct birds. This medium-sized pigeon, estimated to be around 32 cm in length, was characterized by its striking iridescent dark green plumage, adorned with metallic green or bronze-green spots on its wing coverts and mantle. It likely possessed a relatively long tai...
Presumed to have inhabited dense, low-lying primary tropical forests on remote South Pacific islands, likely near coastal areas for foraging opportunities.
Believed to be primarily frugivorous and granivorous, feeding on fallen fruits, seeds, and possibly small invertebrates gleaned from the forest floor, much like its Nicobar Pigeon relative.
Due to its extinction prior to scientific observation, detailed behavioral patterns are largely speculative, inferred from its close relative, the Nicobar Pigeon. It was likely a terrestrial and secretive species, spending much of its time foraging on the forest floor, possibly in small, loosely ...
The historical range of the Spotted Green Pigeon is highly speculative and based solely on the provenance of two museum specimens. One specimen is thought to have been collected in Tahiti (French Polynesia), and the other from Tonga, both located in the South Pacific. This suggests a potential di...
Extinct
- Only two physical specimens of the Spotted Green Pigeon exist globally, one in Paris and one in Liverpool. - Its exact geographic origin is debated, with one specimen believed to be from Tahiti and the other from Tonga. - The species was likely extinct by the mid-19th century, before most ornit...