| Blue pigeon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Seychelles blue pigeon | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Subfamily: | Treroninae |
| Genus: | Alectroenas G.R. Gray, 1840 |
| Species | |
see text | |
Theblue pigeons are agenus,Alectroenas, of birds in the dove and pigeon familyColumbidae. They are native to islands in the westernIndian Ocean.
The genusAlectroenas was first described in 1840 by the English zoologistGeorge Robert Gray with theMauritius blue pigeon (Alectroenas nitidissimus) as thetype species.[1][2] The genus name combines theAncient Greekalektruōn, meaning "domestic cock", andoinas, meaning "pigeon".[3]
TheAlectroenas blue pigeons are closely interrelated and occur widely throughout islands in the westernIndian Ocean. They areallopatric and can therefore be regarded as asuperspecies.[4] There are three extant species: theMadagascar blue pigeon, theComoros blue pigeon, and the Seychelles blue pigeon.[5] The threeMascarene islands were home to one species each, which are all extinct; the Mauritius blue pigeon, theRodrigues blue pigeon, and the Réunion blue pigeon.[6]The blue pigeons perhaps colonised the Mascarenes, theSeychelles or a now submergedhot spot island by "island hopping" and evolved into a distinct genus there before reachingMadagascar.[7] Their closestgenetic relative is thecloven-feathered dove,Drepanoptila holosericea, ofNew Caledonia, which they separated from 8–9 million years ago.[8] Their ancestral group appears to be thefruit doves (Ptilinopus) ofSoutheast Asia andOceania.[9]
The genus contains five extant or recently extinct species:[10]
Two species that became extinct in prehistoric times may have belonged to this genus:
TheRodrigues pigeon (Nesoenas rodericana), now extinct, was once assigned to the genusAlectroenas, but this is now believed to be erroneous. In reality, it probably belongs to an undescribed genus, as the sternum's shape is very dissimilar in its details to that ofAlectroenas orColumba, and indeed to any other living genus of pigeons and doves. It is most similar to that of theGallicolumba ground doves or to a miniature version of the sternum of aDucula imperial pigeon.
The Réunion blue pigeon is known from the description of a slaty-blue feathered pigeon onRéunion, given byDubois in 1674.
Dubois' description is as follows:
"...wild pigeons, everywhere full with them, some with slaty-coloured feathering, the others russet-red. They are a little larger than the European pigeons, and have larger bills, red at the end close to the head, the eyes ringed with the colour of fire, like pheasants. There is a season when they are so fat that one can no longer see their cloaca. They are very good tasting. Wood-pigeons and turtle-doves, as one sees in Europe and as good."
Dubois mentions "wild pigeons, everywhere full with them, some with slaty-coloured feathering" which likely refences the Réunion blue pigeon.[11] Since the Réunion blue pigeon was only mentioned by Dubois, little is known about its extinction. The Réunion blue pigeon likely survived after 1683 and maybe even until 1703.Jean Feuilley mentioned that all native pigeons were extinct in 1705. It is possible that invasive species such as cats and rats could have caused their extinction.
Compared to other pigeons, the blue pigeons are medium to large, stocky, and have comparatively long wings and tails. They all have distinct mobilehackles on the head and neck. Thetibiotarsus is comparatively long and thetarsometatarsus is short.[12]
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