May 18, 2026
May 18, 2026, Dili, Timor-Leste: The Timor green pigeon is in serious trouble due to hunting and loss of its forest home. This bird is now only found in Timor‑Leste and could soon disappear completely. New research from Charles Darwin University and Birdlife International is calling for the species to be listed as Critically Endangered—the highest threat level before extinction—which can help bring more attention, funding, and stronger protections to save it.
The study, published in Oryx, provides the clearest evidence of the rapid decline of the species, which is now estimated to number fewer than 500 individuals in Timor-Leste and likely extinct in neighbouring Indonesia.
Jafet Potenzo Lopes, an author of the study from Conservation International, said: “I was born in Lautem Municpality and have been working here as a conservationist for many years. But so much has changed in that time. Ten years ago, you could hike to see the Timor green pigeon, but now it only lives in the most remote areas.
“It is very difficult to convince hunters to change their behavior, because it’s part of the culture. But I think we need to ask people how they'd feel if this bird disappeared. Hunters may like meat, but if nothing changes soon there will be none.”
The study is based on over 1,400 days of field surveys by the authors between 2002 and 2025 throughout the Timor green pigeon’s range, covering Timor-Leste, Jaco Island, West Timor, Rote Island, and Semau Island. Other historical and contemporary records by ornithologists and birdwatchers going back to 1969 were also included.
In total, there were 96 records of Timor green pigeon, with 74 in Timor-Leste and the majority of these in Lautem Municipality. The majority (82%) of the sightings were located in protected areas, particularly Nino Konis Santana National Park.
Based on an assessment of all known field records the authors estimate that there are 100-500 individuals left, with the authors suspecting that the true number is likely to be at the lower end of this estimate.
Dr. Colin Trainor, lead author of the study from Charles Darwin University, Australia, said:
“I first visited Timor-Leste in 2002. (I went to) Tutuala in the far eastern district of Lautem, then walked eight kilometres down the coast where I spotted the Timor green pigeon for the first time. It wasn’t that difficult to see back then in good forest. But it was still exciting because it’s only found on Timor and some of the neighboring islands.
“I finished my fieldwork in 2006, but have kept going back to Timor Leste ever since, self-funded. Though Nino Konis Santana National Park was founded in 2008, this hasn’t prevented the rapid decline of this and many other species in the area.
“Since 2004 – when I had two records on Rote Island off West Timor – remarkably I have had no records outside Lautem Municipality in Timor-Leste, with the conclusion that they have become increasingly restricted to this well-forested district.
“It’s very sad to see so few green pigeons left. What we need now is the government, conservation organisations and local communities to come together to stop it being lost forever.”
Dr Colin Trainor.
The island of Timor part of Wallacea, that separates Asian and Australian fauna and hosts a high number of species found nowhere else on Earth (endemic species).
The Timor green pigeon, a fruit-eating bird the colour of a green mango, is one of these endemic species. It is part of the Columbidae family (pigeons and doves), which is one of the most threatened bird families globally. Despite being listed as Endangered since 2000, little has been done to protect the species since then.
Alex Berryman, Senior Red List Officer at BirdLife International and a co-author of the study, said: “The Timor green pigeon may now be one of the bird species most likely to go extinct anywhere in Wallacea – a biodiversity hotspot renowned for its concentration of threatened species. Unfortunately, our conclusion is that the species is already functionally extinct in Indonesia, leaving conservation efforts in Timor-Leste crucial for its survival. Timor-Leste remains frustratingly overlooked in conservation – and that urgently needs to change.”
Dr. Trainor concluded: “Though the situation is dire there is still hope for the Timor green pigeon. The biggest threat to the remaining population comes from probably quite a small number of hunters, so there is an opportunity to change their minds, either through reason, financial support or a combination of both.
Hunting is part of the local culture, but unless something changes there will be no Timor green pigeons left to hunt within a few years. We need urgent action and we need it now.”
Read the article: (open access), '' by Colin R. Trainor, Jafet Potenzo Lopes, Pedro Pinto, Rui Miguel Da Silva Pinto and Alex J. Berryman published in Oryx, The International Journal of Conservation.