Last seen over a century ago, the Choiseul pigeon (Microgoura meeki) was native to Choiseul Island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
To date, no other habitats have been documented since the Choiseul pigeon’s extinction.
The Choiseul pigeon became extinct before researchers sufficiently observed and documented its traits. Thus, most of the data we currently have comes from Albert Stewart Meek’s expedition in 1904.
The Choiseul pigeon is also commonly known as Kuvojo, Solomon’s crested pigeon, and Solomon Islands’ crowned pigeon.
Origins of the Choiseul Pigeon
The Choiseul pigeon was monotypic, meaning it was the only species in the genus Microgoura.
Researchers haven’t found any subspecies since its discovery.
Following Albert Stewart Meek’s expedition in 1904, Walter Rothschild documented the Choiseul pigeon based on the specimens Meek brought.
The name Microgoura comes from the ancient Greek word mikros, meaning “small.” The other part of the name, “goura,” is a New Guinean native term.
The genus Goura includes crowned pigeons, who have a crest similar to that of the Choiseul pigeon.
Rothschild named the species meeki in honour of Albert Stewart Meek.
Distribution & Habitat of the Choiseul Pigeon
Albert Stewart Meek (opens in new tab) collected the last specimens of the Choiseul pigeon near Choiseul Bay in the northern region of Choiseul Island.
Surrounded by the other Solomon Islands, Choiseul Island lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
To date, Choiseul Island is the only documented habitat of the Choiseul pigeon.
Some researchers have suggested, without firm evidence, that it might also have lived on nearby islands.
Some local people told the researchers (opens in new tab) that the Choiseul pigeon was in Malaita and Ysabel, two nearby islands.
However, none of these reports has been confirmed.
Unlike many bird species, the Choiseul pigeon didn’t migrate with seasonal changes.
Unlike many pigeons, the Choiseul pigeon is thought to have lived mainly on the ground, in swampy lowland forest near the coast.
Closest Columbidae Relatives of the Choiseul
It’s believed that the Choiseul pigeon is most closely related to one living species, the thick-billed ground pigeon (opens in new tab) (Trugon terrestris).
The thick-billed ground pigeon commonly inhabits Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Some researchers have suggested that the Choiseul pigeon might be a link between the thick-billed ground pigeon and the Goura crowned pigeons.
However, the Choiseul pigeon looked quite different from the Goura crowned pigeons.
Choiseul Pigeon Appearance
| Wingspan | Length | Weight | Coloring | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choiseul Pigeon | Unknown | Around 31 cm | Unknown | Bluish grey with some black and orange belly |
| Average Feral Pigeon | 64 – 72 cm | 29 – 37 cm | 240 – 380 g | Bluish grey with some black |
The Choiseul pigeon was a large ground bird. Based on the illustrations by previous researchers, the adult Choiseul pigeon was mostly bluish grey, like many pigeons.
Both the face and forehead were black.
Overall, the Choiseul pigeon’s back was grey-washed, but the lower part shared a similar brownish tint with the tail and wings. The legs were purplish-red.
What sets the Choiseul pigeon apart is its brownish-orange belly and unique crest. The crest and upper head shared the same bluish-grey color.
However, researchers suggest that the crests of the specimens at the museum were laid flat during preservation.
Therefore, we don’t know precisely how this blue crest was positioned on the Choiseul pigeon’s head. Different illustrators have assumed various positions of the blue crest in their drawings.
For instance, John Gerrard Keulemans pictured a flat crest, as shown by Meek’s specimens. Other illustrators have depicted a fanned, scraggy crest similar to the crowned pigeon’s crest.
Another exciting feature on the Choiseul pigeon’s head is the blue shield centered on top of the beak. The surrounding black feathers framed and highlighted the shield and the beak.
Its wings were brownish.
As for the tail, it had a dark purple color complementing the black feathers on the head and body.
Facts About the Choiseul Pigeon
- Hamlin reported that the Choiseul Island’s villagers called the Choiseul Pigeon “kukuru-ni-lova,” which translates to “pigeon-belong-ground.” This name accurately describes the hen-like behavior of the Choiseul Pigeon.
- It was a fairly large pigeon that lived on the floor of lowland forest.
- Local villagers also remembered its gizzard stone, describing it as “gold”. The stones may have had some local value, which may have added to hunting pressure.
- The Choiseul province depicts the Choiseul pigeon on its flag.
- Some ornithologists have suggested that the Choiseul pigeon was a smaller relative of the crowned pigeons, such as the Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria).
Choiseul Pigeon Conservation
In 1904, Albert Stewart Meek collected several specimens, including six skins and a unique egg.
The skins are now held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the egg is at the Natural History Museum at Tring.
Since Meek’s visit in 1904, several expeditions returned to Choiseul Island in search of the Choiseul pigeon but without success.
In 1968, Parker revisited Choiseul Island and questioned the older villagers along the Southcoast area. The villagers who recalled the Choiseul pigeon said they had seen it a long time ago.
According to the villagers, an external mission introduced feral cats to the island to keep the rats under control. On top of that, dogs were trained to help with pig hunts.
Choiseul Island had no native mammal predators like cats or dogs, so the Choiseul pigeon had no defences against them.
Both cats and dogs hunted the Choiseul pigeon and significantly reduced its numbers.
The latest record Parker obtained came from local people who saw a small roost during the Second World War, in the early 1940s.
Earlier, in 1927–1929, Beck and Hamlin of the Whitney South Sea Expedition had failed to find the Choiseul pigeon despite help from local people.
Parker believed that habitat loss also played a part.
He believed the pigeon had disappeared from the Choiseul Bay area by the late 1920s, after the original vegetation there was cleared for coconut plantations.
Choiseul Pigeon Character
Villagers’ reports collected by Hamlin in 1929 described how tame the Choiseul pigeon was.
This tame behavior might be the reason behind its extinction since the local boys used to easily catch it in their hands.
Besides, the Choiseul pigeon made little effort to hide its roosting sites. The local boys used to track the roosts on low-branched trees by noting the Choiseul pigeon’s manure on the ground below.
They used to wait until the pigeons fell asleep to seize them effortlessly.
Furthermore, the Choiseul pigeon had a distinctive sound that some locals imitated when shown the illustrations of the bird.
One village chief said that the Choiseul pigeon’s calling sounded like a rising and falling whistle.
He usually heard it calling from its roost in the evening.
Mating And Breeding Choiseul Pigeons
None of the researchers who visited Choiseul Island reported that the native people used to breed Choiseul pigeons.
Instead, their roosts were tracked in the lowland forests, and they were hunted as wild birds for feeding.
According to locals, the Choiseul pigeons used to roost in groups of two, three, or four pigeons.
However, the Choiseul pigeon didn’t build nests to lay its eggs. Instead, it used to lay one small, cream-colored egg in unlined hollows in the ground.
Last updated 30 October 2026 · Types