| Caloenas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| AdultNicobar pigeon | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Genus: | Caloenas G.R. Gray, 1840 |
Caloenas is agenus ofpigeons. The only livingspecies is theNicobar pigeon (C. nicobarica).
One or twoextinct species are known: theKanaka pigeon was a large species fromNew Caledonia andTonga. It is only known by subfossil remains and was probably hunted to extinction by the early settlers. Thespotted green pigeon, another extinct species from an unknown locality, has only a slight similarity to theNicobar pigeon due to its neckfeathers.Ornithologists place it in thisgenus, but there is not a unanimous agreement. One surviving specimen exists in theLiverpool Museum.
The genusCaloenas was introduced by the English zoologistGeorge Robert Gray in 1840 to accommodate theNicobar pigeon.[1][2] The genus name combines theAncient Greekkalos meaning "beautiful" withoinas meaning "dove".[3]
The genus contains two species:[4]
Sometimes included in the genus is a species that probably became extinct 2,500 years ago:
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