Marwell Zoo celebrates the 'fascinating' nicobar pigeon for international pigeon day

International Pigeon Day takes place on June 13 with the date being selected because it was the day that one of the most famous World War I pigeons, Cher Ami, died.

Marwell Zoo has decided to celebrate the nicobar pigeons today (June 13) as these magnificent birds, which come from a chain of islands in Southeast Asia, face numerous threats, including deforestation. The nicobar pigeon is the closest living relative of the dodo bird which has been extinct since 1681.

They have a long collar of feathers in green, grey, blue and copper tones, a little like a mane around their neck. People historically hunted them in the hope of capturing their beauty for themselves. Feathers were coveted but people also made jewellery from the bird’s gizzard stone.

The gizzard stone helps break up ingested food before it reaches the bird’s stomach and is typically incredibly hard and highly polished because of the grinding action they are exposed to. The Nicobar pigeon is currently listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.

Jonathan Newton, senior animal keeper, Birds, said: “One fascinating characteristic of Nicobar pigeons is their unique drinking behaviour. Unlike most other birds, they submerge their entire beaks into water and suck or gulp it up, rather than sipping.

“Nicobar pigeons also have an interesting flight pattern. When flying in groups, nicobar pigeons prefer to fly in single file or lines, as opposed to the traditional “V” or scattered formations seen in other bird species.”

For more information about the nicobar pigeon and Marwell Zoo, click here.