# Pink Pigeon (*nesoenas mayeri*)

The Pink Pigeon is a beautiful bird with soft pink feathers! It loves to perch in trees and is known for its gentle cooing sounds.

- **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Tropical forests and woodlands in Mauritius.
- **Also known as:** Mauritius Pigeon, Nesoenas Pigeon, Pink Dove

![Pink Pigeon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mauritiustaube2016-02_%28cropped%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Michael Hanselmann (www.MichaelHanselmann.de), CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mauritiustaube2016-02_%28cropped%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Pink Pigeon has a beautiful rose-pink body and head, contrasting with its darker grey wings and back. A bright red eye-ring adds a pop of color to its distinctive face, making it unique among pigeons.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Columbiformes
- **Family:** Columbidae
- **Genus:** Nesoenas

## Interesting facts

- Pink Pigeons are related to the famous Dodo, both once lived only on Mauritius!
- Their soft cooing call sounds like a gentle 'hoo-hoo-hoo' through the forest.
- These birds form pairs that often stay together for their entire lives.
- They feed their chicks a special 'crop milk' made in their own bodies!

## Special abilities

- **Seed Spreader:** Pink Pigeons can help plant new trees because they eat fruits and spread seeds across the forest floor.
- **Forest Camouflage:** Pink Pigeons have unique pink feathers that help them blend into the dappled light of their native forest environment.
- **Survivor Instinct:** Pink Pigeons can adapt to habitat changes, helping their species recover after almost disappearing entirely.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 32-38 cm
- **Wingspan:** 50-55 cm
- **Weight:** 0.28-0.35 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-15 years
- **Clutch Size:** 1-2
- **Incubation:** 13-15 days

## Diet & Feeding

These gentle birds are mainly plant-eaters, feasting on fruits, seeds, and leaves.

- **Age differences:** null
- **Primary Foods:** Fruits, Seeds, Leaves, Buds, Flowers
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Mauritius Kestrel (*Falco punctatus*) — Main natural predator of adult Pink Pigeons.
- **Eaten by:** Crab-eating Macaque (*Macaca fascicularis*) — Introduced predator that raids nests for eggs and chicks.
- **Eats:** Mauritius Persimmon (*Diospyros egrettarum*) — Its fruits are a vital food source for the pigeons.
- **Eats:** Strangler Fig (*Ficus reflexa*) — Consumes fruits, contributing to seed dispersal.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pink Pigeon?

Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Pink Pigeon?

32-38 cm

### What is Pink Pigeon's wingspan?

50-55 cm

### How much does Pink Pigeon weigh?

0.28-0.35 kg

### How long does Pink Pigeon live?

10-15 years

### What does Pink Pigeon eat?

These gentle birds are mainly plant-eaters, feasting on fruits, seeds, and leaves.

### Where is Pink Pigeon usually found?

Tropical forests and woodlands in Mauritius.

### How does Pink Pigeon hunt?

Foraging

## More Birds

- [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*)
- [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*)
- [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*)
- [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*)

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Source: [Pink Pigeon: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pink-pigeon)