Chatham Island Pigeon/Parea

Hemiphaga chathamensis

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Chatham Islands Pigeon/Parea

“ In Wharekauri island, one pigeon is always remembered./I te motu o Rehoku/Wharekauri, kotahi te kukupa ka maumahara tonu. ”

– Sukuna

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Columbiformes

Family: Columbidae

Genus: Hemiphaga

Species: Hemiphaga chathamensis

Descendant: Topknot pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus)

Named by: Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild

Year Published: 1891

Size: 800 g (28 oz) in weight and 55 cm (22 in) in length

Lifespan: 15 and 26 years

Activity: Diurnal 🌅

Thermoregulate: Endotherm

Type(s):

Reptiles (Archosaurs)
- Birds (Pigeons)

Title(s):

New Zealand Dove

Pantheon(s):

Terran/Gaian 🇺🇳
- New Zealander 🇳🇿

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Good

Threat Level: ★

Diet: Omnivorous 🥩🌿

Element(s): Air 🌬️

Inflict(s): Stench 💩

Weakness(es): Rock 🪨 (50% immune), Electric ⚡, Ice ❄️

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (VU) – IUCN Red List

The Chatham Islands Pigeon (Hemiphaga chathamensis), also known as the Chatham Pigeon or Parea (Moriori Kanji: 鳩, ぱれぁ), is a bird endemic to the Chatham Islands in New Zealand.

This animal was introduced or mentioned in No Way to Seaway, Weather Dragons, Project Daejeon, Two Lights, Worldcraft, and Rescris series.

Etymology

English ornithologist John Latham wrote about the kererū in his A General Synopsis of Birds in 1783 but did not give it a scientific name. German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave it its first formal description in 1789, placing it in genus Columba as Columba novaeseelandiae, with Latham naming it Columba zealandica in his 1790 Index Ornithologicus. The genus Hemiphaga was introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854 with the kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) as the type species for that genus. The name combines the Ancient Greek hēmi meaning "half-" or "small", with the end of the genus name Carpophaga, "fruit eating", as Bonaparte saw the genus as related to both that genus and Megaloprepia (now incorporated into Ptilinopus).

Physical Appearance

It was once thought to be a subspecies of the kereru, but in 2001 it was suggested that it was sufficiently different to be elevated to full species status. The parea is a large forest pigeon. Its head, neck, and upper breast are dark bluish-grey with a faint green/blue sheen; its wings and mantle are maroon to reddish-brown; its belly is white with a distinct line separating it from the darker upper plumage; its bill is bright red with an orange tip; and its legs and eyes are crimson to red. Juvenile parea have less color contrast and are duller.

Abilities

During courtship, male parea perform demonstration flights to show off their formidable ability to fly through woodlands. This species, like most pigeons, is not adapted for swimming and uses the water for drinking and washing, but there is no evidence that it can swim. Unlike the kererū, the Chatham Islands pigeon has an enlarged hind toe which helps it to scrabble about on the forest floor.

Ecology

The fruits of the hoho (Pseudopanax chathamicus), matipo, mahoe, and karamū trees, as well as the leaves of the mahoe, hoho, and clover trees, are what the Chatham Islands pigeon consumes. The hoho's juicy fruits are particularly prized. August and September, when the Chatham pigeon's breeding season is at its height, are when they are at their best. In its natural habitat, the Chatham Island pigeon plays a crucial role in dispersing tree seeds.

The parea generally nests from June to October, while the kererū nests from September to January. The Chatham Islands pigeon nests in bracken or fern near the ground, while the kererū prefers to nest in a tree, out of harm's way. The Chatham Islands pigeon's egg is also much bigger.

Reproduction

Breeding season: Around June to November, peaking where native fruit becomes abundant.
Nest: Simple twig platform, often near the ground in low vegetation or forest ferns.
Clutch size: Typically one egg.
Both parents incubate and nurture the chick until fledging.

Behavior

The Chatham Islands pigeon is renowned for their spectacular flying dives, especially by the males, to attract a mate. Most breed at 1 to 2 years of age, laying just one egg. Chicks fledge at about 45 days old and become independent at 3 months. They have a life expectancy of up to 25 years.

During the mating season, territorial pairs of Chatham Islands pigeons protected their nesting grounds. During courting, males do aerial show flights. Parea may build their nests on open tree tops or high branches. When they are not in danger, these pigeons can be closely observed by humans. These pigeons were probably considerably more approachable prior to the introduction of predators; they are not inherently afraid in remote environments.

Threats and Conservation

Threats

They were common in the 1870s but habitat destruction and predation by mammalian invasive species reduced the population to only 40 birds by 1990. Since then, predator control and stock fencing in and around the Tuku valley have resulted in improved breeding success which has led to rapid population growth.

Introduced predators—feral cats, rats, possums, dogs, tanuki, stoats, and weka—eat eggs, chicks, or adults.
Habitat loss from forest clearance historically reduced population range.
Historic hunting (now illegal in NZ).

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (VU)

Conservation Efforts

Predator control and forest protection (e.g., Tuku Nature Reserve) have helped recovery from as low as ~40 birds in the 1980s to 500–600+ in recent decades.

Habitat protection.
Anti-poaching enforcement.
Rescue and rehabilitation centers.
Awareness campaigns against illegal pet trade.

Distribution and Habitat

The species is largely restricted to the southern forests of Chatham Island (particularly those around the Tuku River). A few have been seen elsewhere on Chatham Island and also further afield on Pitt and South East Islands. They were common in the 1870s but habitat destruction and predation by mammalian invasive species reduced the population to only 40 birds by 1990. Since then, predator control and stock fencing in and around the Tuku valley have resulted in improved breeding success which has led to rapid population growth.

Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant
Individual Type: Solo
Population Trend: Decreasing
Population: u
Locomotion: Airborne
Habitat: Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests; Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Salt Flats; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Mushroom Forests; Mushroom Fields; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale; Mountain; Sky; Volcano; Lava Trench; Basalt Delta; Warm Ghost Town; Cold Ghost Town; Ruined Skyscraper.
Earth:
- Extant (Resident): New Zealand (Chatham Islands/Rehoku)
Berbania: worldwide
Reinachos: worldwide
Sawintir: worldwide

Tamed

Doves and pigeons raised indoors are wonderful pets. They are easy to care for, have a good disposition, and adore both their own kind and people. They are gregarious, intelligent, and reserved. They make low maintenance pets because they don't bite, pluck, or chew; treating them with any fresh seed kind.

In three of the Earth Responsibly stories' main universes, the Chatham Islands pigeon was neither acceptable nor permitted as a pet. It can only survive in its natural habitat and cannot be kept as a pet because it is a vulnerable, protected wild species that is native to New Zealand. Additionally, wild birds have unique diets and habits that make keeping them as pets in captivity unsuitable and dangerous.

Lore

Ryomen Sukuna, who had been banished by the Japanese government, remained on North Island during the Kamakura period. He used his dark power to resurrect a dead pigeon that he had trodden on. Then he became a member of this life. But Sukuna was astonished to see Maoris who were mistaken for Patupaiarehe, a clan of sun-sensitive elves in this country.

The pigeon itself is the introduced species to Wales, England, Hokkaido, Kuril , and Faroe Islands by the British government.