The Seychelles Blue pigeon or pizon Olande in creole spends most of its life in the canopy of trees and eats the fruits of figs, Bwa dir., 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 and it became quite rare, but soon the population recovered and you can now see the birds on many islands. Recently it has spread to Cousin and Aride.
Facts
Scientific name: Alectroenas pulcherrima
Population: >5000 birds
Distribution: 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, one or two eggs laid
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.
