Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Norfolk Island pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae spadicea), 1790s

Norfolk Island pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae spadicea), 1790s

Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW; Purchased 1887PXD 226, f. 84

Watercolour with gold leaf

The abundance of the Norfolk pigeon (extinct) at the time of the island's settlement is unknown.
Based on the behaviour of the other subspecies, it is likely that the Norfolk pigeon (extinct) relied upon fruiting plants for food.
The extinction of the Norfolk pigeon was caused by a combination of the introduction of cats and weasels, habitat destruction and hunting by human settlers.
The Government of Norfolk Island released a stamp commemorating the Norfolk pigeon (extinct) in 1971.
The Norfolk pigeon or Wood quest existed on Norfolk Island until it became extinct around the early 1900s.