Caloenas nicobarica (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bishop, K. David, 2023, The avifauna of Biak Island, Papua, Indonesia with comments on status, conservation, natural history and taxonomy, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 143 (1), pp. 3-62 : 19

NICOBAR PIGEON Caloenas nicobarica # Near Threatened

Local name Man Fmar Mandwan (Sansundi).

Range C. n. nicobarica Ayawi, Numfor, Mios Num, and Kumbur and Nutabari in the Auri archipelago.

Status Resident? Collected on ‘Biak’ in May 1915 by Feuilletau de Bruyn ( Hartert 1932) who reported that the species used to be common but was nearly extirpated ( Feuilletau de Bruyn 1941). Reported during October‒March on Kumbur and Nutabari in the Auri archipelago, south-west Teluk Cenderawasih ( Mitchell 1989), whilst Gibbs (1993) stated ‘Apparently August to December there is a large colony of Nicobar Pigeons breeding on Ayawi Island’, 62 km north-west of Supiori. Ajawai (Ayawi) was also listed by Mayr (1941). Gibbs (1993) saw an immature in Biak town market. It has not been reported on Biak since.