A Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica), regarded in Palawan as a critically endangered bird, was rescued by local authorities in Bataraza town.
The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), in a press statement issued Friday afternoon, said that the Nicobar pigeon had a deep wound on its right wing and signs of infection on its left foot when it was rescued on June 3.
Locally known as “siete colores” because of its distinct plumage, the wild bird was believed to have originated from the Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary (GRBS) on Ursula Island in the southern municipality of Palawan.
Franklin M. Aquino, park superintendent of GRBS, turned over the Nicobar pigeon to PCSD staff for proper medical attention.
The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) categorized the wild bird as a threatened species under Appendix I, banning its commercial trade.
The PCSD, through Resolution No. 15-521, has subsequently moved to place the Nicobar pigeon as a critically endangered species.
The Nicobar pigeon is generally found on small islands and in coastal regions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Malay archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau.
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