Ryukyu wood pigeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ryukyu wood pigeon |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Columba
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| Species: |
jouyi
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| Synonyms | |
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Janthoenas jouyi Stejneger, 1887 |
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The Ryukyu wood pigeon (Columba jouyi) was a special type of bird. People also called it the silver-banded or silver-crescented pigeon. It belonged to the pigeon family. This pigeon lived only in the Laurel forests of the Ryukyu Islands. Sadly, it is now extinct, meaning there are no more left.
Contents
Where the Ryukyu Wood Pigeon Lived
This extinct species of pigeon lived only on certain islands. These islands are part of the Okinawa archipelago. They are located southwest of the main Japanese land.
Islands Where It Was Found
The Ryukyu wood pigeon was seen on several islands. In the Okinawa group, it lived on Iheyajima and Izenajima. It also lived on Okinawa proper and nearby Yagachijima.
West of Okinawa, in the Kerama Retto, it was found on Zamamijima. Farther southeast, in the Daitō group, it lived on Kita Daitōjima and Minami Daitōjima. Scientists believe it might have also lived on other nearby islands like Iejima long ago. The pigeon's scientific name, jouyi, honors a friend of the scientist who named it, Pierre Louis Jouy.
Why the Ryukyu Wood Pigeon Disappeared
Like other Japanese wood pigeons, the Ryukyu wood pigeon was very sensitive. It needed large areas of untouched subtropical forest to survive. When these forests were cut down, the pigeons struggled.
Habitat Loss and Hunting
For example, Iejima island lost most of its forests. This happened even before scientists could study the birds there. This is why no records of the pigeon exist from Iejima.
The last time this pigeon was seen on Okinawa was in 1904. It likely disappeared because of hunting. In the Daitō islands, the pigeon vanished after 1936. These small islands were completely cleared of trees. This was due to people settling there and building things before World War II.
Unanswered Questions
People thought the pigeon might still live on other remote islands near Okinawa. However, it has never been found again. There are still forests in the mountains of Okinawa. But military actions during World War II and hunting by Japanese soldiers probably would have led to sightings if the birds were still there.
It is also a mystery why no pigeons were ever recorded on Tokashikijima. This island in the Kerama Retto still has most of its forests today. Zamamijima, where the pigeon was known to live, is even smaller. It is also farther from the main Okinawa island.
