Choiseul Crested Pigeon
Encyclopedia
The Choiseul Crested Pigeon (Microgoura meeki) is a presumedly extinct pigeon which was only known on the Solomon island
of Choiseul
in the Pacific. This species was first described by Walter Rothschild in 1904 and named in honour of Albert Stewart Meek. The Choiseul islanders called that species kukuru-ni-lua which means ground pigeon. There is a painting by John Gerrard Keulemans
in the American Museum of Natural History
in New York City
.
. On the top of the head was a dark bluish crest similar to the Crowned Pigeons of Papua New Guinea
. The forehead and the front of the face were black, the rest of the head was sparsely pinnate with a reddish hue. Mantle and breast had a dark blueish colour with a brown tinge on the lower back.
The wings and the backside were olive brown. The tail was dark brown with a purple hue. The abdomen had a chestnut coloured tone. The upper side of the bill was black, the lower side red. The legs were purplish red. It is not known whether there were differences between the sexes.
, a bird collector for Lord Walter Rothschild
and brought to the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
at Tring
. An egg
was also collected.
Because of Rothschild's financial difficulties, five skins were sold to the American Museum of Natural History. On further expeditions in 1927 and 1929, no specimens were found. It is assumed that the Choiseul Crested Pigeon was not only a victim of human hunters, but also fell victim of destruction brought by non-native feral cats and dogs that were introduced to the islands.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
of Choiseul
Choiseul Province
The Choiseul Province is one of the nine provinces of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the island of Bougainville and Santa Isabel in the west of the Solomon Islands....
in the Pacific. This species was first described by Walter Rothschild in 1904 and named in honour of Albert Stewart Meek. The Choiseul islanders called that species kukuru-ni-lua which means ground pigeon. There is a painting by John Gerrard Keulemans
John Gerrard Keulemans
Johannes Gerardus Keulemans was a Dutch bird illustrator.-Biography and Work:...
in the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Description
This species had a length of approximately 30 cm, roughly the size of a chickenChicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. On the top of the head was a dark bluish crest similar to the Crowned Pigeons of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. The forehead and the front of the face were black, the rest of the head was sparsely pinnate with a reddish hue. Mantle and breast had a dark blueish colour with a brown tinge on the lower back.
The wings and the backside were olive brown. The tail was dark brown with a purple hue. The abdomen had a chestnut coloured tone. The upper side of the bill was black, the lower side red. The legs were purplish red. It is not known whether there were differences between the sexes.
Extinction
In 1904 six specimens were shot by Albert Stewart MeekAlbert Stewart Meek
Albert Stewart Meek was an English bird collector and naturalist. The name Alfred S. Meek which can be read in several publications is referred to Albert Stewart Meek.-Biography:...
, a bird collector for Lord Walter Rothschild
Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild
Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild FRS , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
and brought to the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
The Natural History Museum at Tring was the private museum of Lionel Walter, 2nd Baron Rothschild, today it is under the control of the Natural History Museum. It houses one of the finest collections of stuffed mammals, birds, reptiles and insects in the United Kingdom...
at Tring
Tring
Tring is a small market town and also a civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in Hertfordshire, England. Situated north-west of London and linked to London by the old Roman road of Akeman Street, by the modern A41, by the Grand Union Canal and by rail lines to Euston Station, Tring is now largely a...
. An egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
was also collected.
Because of Rothschild's financial difficulties, five skins were sold to the American Museum of Natural History. On further expeditions in 1927 and 1929, no specimens were found. It is assumed that the Choiseul Crested Pigeon was not only a victim of human hunters, but also fell victim of destruction brought by non-native feral cats and dogs that were introduced to the islands.
