The Norfolk ground dove is an extinct species of bird in the Columbidae, or pigeon family.
Region
Southwest Pacific
Typical Environment
Historically restricted to forested habitats on Norfolk Island and nearby Phillip Island. It likely favored dense understory, leaf-litter, and forest edges where seeds and fallen fruits accumulated. Ground-doves often use thickets and palm or fern groves for cover and nesting. The species is now extirpated from its former range.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 300 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Norfolk ground dove was a small, ground-foraging pigeon endemic to Norfolk Island in the southwest Pacific and is now extinct. It likely declined rapidly after European settlement due to hunting, habitat clearance, and introduced predators such as rats and cats. Very little first-hand documentation exists, and most details are inferred from related ground-doves and historical accounts.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; flushes low and quickly from the ground
Social Behavior
Likely occurred singly or in pairs, with small loose groups at rich food patches. Nesting probably on or near the ground or low in dense vegetation, as in related ground-doves. Both parents in Columbidae typically share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Presumed soft, repeated coos typical of small ground-doves. Calls likely carried short distances through dense understory and were used for contact and territorial signaling.
