The Seychelles Blue Pigeon Alectroenas pulcherrima or Pizon Olande in Creole spends much of its life in the canopy of trees and eats the fruits of figs, Bwa dir (Canthium bibracteatum), ylang ylang and other trees.
In the courtship flight, birds fly steeply upward before gliding down with their wings held stiffly down. Once it was shot for food, it became quite rare, but the population has recovered and you can now see birds on many islands. Recently, it has spread to Cousin.
Facts
Scientific name: Alectroenas pulcherrima
Population in Seychelles: Unknown, at least 5000 birds
Distribution in Seychelles: Breeds on most large and medium islands, including Aride and Cousin
Habitat: Woodland, scrub and gardens
Nest: A loose stick nest is built in trees and shrubs, with one or two eggs laid
Diet: Fruit
Identification: A large pigeon, usually in trees. May look uniformly dark but in good light, the pale blue neck and red head can be seen.
See more
Species Fact Sheet on BirdLife Data Zone
(Photo credit: Serge Marizy)