Did You Know?

• Believe it or not, Pink-Necked Green Pigeons are really this colour (and they are really pigeons)
• These spectacular birds can be found in parts of Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia and of course Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar – Yes, it might be time to take a trip to southeast Asia
• The Pink-Necked Green Pigeon loves the trees and as such spends most of their time high in the canopy. They typically only hang out on the ground when they are thirsty or are looking for some tasty berries

The Most Colourful Bird?

I don’t know if the Pink-Necked Green Pigeon is the most colourful bird on the planet but I would be willing to bet they are the most colourful pigeon. So why do they need these fancy colours? Like so many other animal species the males are the ones that have the bright colouring, while the females are your more drab green coloured. This tells us that this bright wardrobe helps the guys pick up the pretty, little green ladies. The brighter you are the better your chances of finding the perfect mate.

This unusual colouring also serves a secondary purpose. That of camouflage. Wait, are you trying to tell me that a pink neck doesn’t stick out in the wild? It doesn’t when that pink neck and green body is mixed amongst dense vegetation, fruits and of course colourful, rainforest flowers. Yes, these birds are able to blend in perfectly with the canopy they love spending time in. Does the fancy new sweater you bought do that?

No Stomping in the Nest!

If you ever have the privilege of seeing the nest of a Pink-Necked Green Pigeon, I highly recommend you do not touch it. Why? Well for many ecological reasons but the main one I am trying to highlight today is the fact that these birds build incredibly flimsy nests. Believe it or not, they are so thin you can often see the contents of the nest while looking up at it. Typically, the male is the one responsible for collecting the nesting material while the female takes the twigs and construct her new home. So who is to blame for the incredibly flimsy home – the gatherer or the constructor?