Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Thick-billed pigeon
- Scientific name: Gallicolumba salamonis
- Classification: Landfowl
- Family and genus: Columbidae, Columbidae, Columbidae
Vital signs data
- Body length: No verification information available.
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
Thick-billed pigeons prefer to live in the dry sandy forests of Makira and Malaita islands in the Solomon Islands, and it is believed that they were also distributed on other islands in the past.
Appearance
The thick-billed chicken pigeon is about 26 cm long. Its head, throat, and chest are yellowish-white. Its upper body is chestnut-colored, and its wings have a pale purple sheen, which contrasts sharply with its chocolate-colored belly.
Detailed introduction
The Thick-billed Chicken Pigeon, scientifically known as *Gallicolumba salamonis* (EP Ramsay, 1882), was an extinct pigeon species belonging to the genus *Gallicolumba* in the family Columbidae. Little is known about the Thick-billed Chicken Pigeon, with only two specimens collected in 1882 and 1927. The original specimen is now housed at the Australian Museum in Sydney. They nested on the ground, making them easy prey for invasive species such as rats, wild boars, feral cats, and wild dogs. Deforestation and overhunting in the lowlands contributed to their extinction. Aside from a sighting in 1927, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) never declared them extinct. Numerous studies in the 20th century failed to locate them, leading to their official declaration of extinction in 2005. They may have disappeared due to World War II.
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