The Comoro olive pigeon, also known as the Comoros Rameron pigeon or simply the Comoro pigeon, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Comoros and Mayotte. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.
Region
Comoro Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs on the main islands of the Comoros archipelago and Mayotte, primarily in mature evergreen and montane forest. It favors dense, humid forest with large fruiting trees, but will also use secondary growth and forest edges. Birds occasionally descend to plantations and gardens when wild fruits are scarce. Local abundance is highest where intact canopy persists and hunting pressure is low.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy canopy-dwelling pigeon of the Comoros and Mayotte, it plays an important role as a seed disperser for native forest trees. It is most easily seen at dawn or late afternoon when visiting fruiting trees along forest edges. Ongoing loss and degradation of evergreen forest have caused declines, making local protection of remaining upland forests critical.
Temperament
shy and wary
Flight Pattern
strong flier with powerful, direct wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, but small groups gather at heavily fruiting trees. Breeding pairs build a simple stick platform nest placed well above ground in dense foliage. Clutch size is typically one egg, and both parents attend the nest. Outside breeding, it remains loosely associated with favored feeding sites.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A deep, resonant series of booming coos delivered from within the canopy, often in slow, spaced sequences. Calls carry through forested valleys at dawn and dusk and can be heard more often than the bird is seen.
Plumage
Dark olive-brown to purplish-brown body with a slight iridescent sheen; neck often shows fine pale speckling and gloss. Head and upperparts appear slaty-brown, with a cleaner, paler gray wash on the head. Underparts are uniformly dark, sometimes with a wine-purple tone, and the tail is broad and dark.
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruits and berries of native forest trees, including figs and other fleshy drupes. Will also take seeds and occasionally buds, swallowing whole fruits and later dispersing seeds. Foraging is usually deliberate and methodical among the upper canopy, moving between fruiting trees. During scarcity, it may exploit fruiting shrubs and cultivated fruit near villages.
Preferred Environment
Primarily forages in the mid to upper canopy of humid evergreen and montane forest. Also uses forest edges and clearings with fruiting trees, and sometimes visits plantations adjacent to forest.
