Nine Nicobar pigeons were recently spotted resting together on a single tree at the Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary in Bataraza, Palawan, in what local wildlife personnel described as an extremely unusual sight.
The discovery was made during wet-season biodiversity monitoring by forest rangers and personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Brooke’s Point. According to GMA News, the team initially noticed what appeared to be a lone dark-colored bird with strikingly colorful wings. When it flew toward a nearby tree, the rangers discovered that it was joined by several others.
The birds were identified as Nicobar pigeons (Caloenas nicobarica), also known locally as sete colores, a reference to their spectacular multicolored plumage.
The sighting is particularly significant because wildlife personnel said they usually encounter only one or two Nicobar pigeons during biodiversity surveys in the area.
“This was the first time” they had seen the birds gather in such numbers on the island, according to MC Ibanez, assistant protected-area superintendent of the Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, as reported by GMA News.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the sighting is a positive indication of the importance of continued habitat protection, biodiversity monitoring and cooperation among government agencies, the Protected Area Management Board, local government and conservation partners.
Why nine Nicobar pigeons matter
The Nicobar pigeon is far from an ordinary city pigeon.
The species is among the world’s most striking pigeons, displaying metallic green, blue, bronze and violet plumage, together with distinctive elongated feathers around its neck. It can reach roughly 40 centimeters in length and is associated with tropical islands and coastal forests across parts of South and Southeast Asia.
In the Philippines, Palawan is an important stronghold for the species.
Ursula Island is especially significant because it provides protected habitat for resident and migratory birds as well as marine and coastal wildlife. DENR identifies the sanctuary as a Key Biodiversity Area, underscoring its broader ecological importance.
The Nicobar pigeon is also a flagship species for Bataraza, making its continued presence on Ursula Island particularly important to local conservation efforts.
Protected—but still under pressure
The sighting should not be mistaken for proof that the Nicobar pigeon is out of danger.
Under DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-09, the Nicobar pigeon is classified as an Endangered species in the Philippines. In Palawan, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development’s Resolution No. 15-521 places the species under the province’s Critically Endangered category. Globally, however, the IUCN classifies the species as Near Threatened.
The species also receives international trade protection. Caloenas nicobarica is listed in CITES Appendix I, placing the species under the convention’s highest level of international trade protection.
That protection matters because Nicobar pigeons face continuing threats including habitat loss and illegal hunting. GMA News also reported that the birds depend on forest-floor food sources such as fruits, seeds, grains and small invertebrates.
This is more than a viral wildlife photo
The image of nine colorful pigeons crowded onto one tree may be eye-catching, but the bigger story is what made the encounter possible.
For years, conservation authorities have emphasized the importance of protecting the small islands and forest habitats on which the species depends.
A decade ago, the conservation picture was already serious enough that DENR rehabilitated and released five rescued Nicobar pigeons into the wild at the Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro. The birds had reportedly been rescued from poachers and spent years undergoing rehabilitation before their release.
The latest Ursula Island observation therefore provides an important reminder: when habitat survives and protection is sustained, threatened wildlife can still persist—and sometimes reveal itself in ways conservation teams rarely get to witness.
But nine birds in one tree do not automatically mean the species’ population has recovered.
What the sighting does provide is evidence that Ursula Island continues to function as a refuge where this threatened species can live and potentially reproduce.
And that may be the most important message behind the remarkable “pigeon reunion” in Palawan.
The birds have returned to the spotlight. The real challenge now is making sure they have a protected place to return to.
Editorial fact-check
- Species: Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica)
- Location: Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, Bataraza, Palawan
- Latest sighting: Nine birds observed together on one tree during wet-season biodiversity monitoring
- Philippine national status: Endangered under DENR DAO 2019-09
- Palawan status: Critically Endangered under PCSD Resolution No. 15-521
- Global IUCN status: Near Threatened
- International trade status: CITES Appendix I
- Local significance: Flagship species of Bataraza
- Conservation significance: The unusual grouping is viewed by DENR as a positive sign of continued habitat protection and monitoring—not definitive proof of population recovery.
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