17-10-2016: Nicobar Pigeon Series 1: Near Threatened Birds A commemorative postage stamp

This species is classified as Near Threatened because throughout its wide range it is thought to be declining as a result of capture for food and the pet trade, habitat destruction and predation by introduced mammals. The Nicobar Pigeon is a small island specialist; it occurs on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas. The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as generally scarce to rare, although locally commoner on smaller islets. It normally breeds, often in dense colonies, on extremely small, wooded offshore islands and forages in situ or on adjacent mainland (or larger island) areas up to at least 500 m. It prefers uninhabited and remote islets with original forest vegetation, though these must be close enough to large areas of lowland rainforest which it requires for foraging.