Researchers Recommend Critically Endangered Status for Timor Green Pigeon

Key facts

• The Timor green pigeon (Treron psittaceus) is a fruit-eating bird species endemic to the island of Timor, encompassing eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
• Researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and BirdLife International have proposed up-listing the species from Endangered to Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
• A longitudinal study conducted between 2002 and 2025 estimates that fewer than 500 individuals remain in Timor-Leste, while the population in Indonesia is considered functionally extinct.
• Approximately 82% of recorded sightings occurred within protected areas, specifically the Nino Konis Santana National Park in Timor-Leste, which was established in 2008.
• The species belongs to the Columbidae family and inhabits the Wallacea biogeographical zone, where it serves as a vital frugivore for seed dispersal and forest regeneration.