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The blue pigeons are the bird species in the genus ''Alectroenas'' of the pigeon family. They are: * Madagascar blue pigeon (''Alectroenas madagascariensis'') * Comoros blue pigeon (''Alectroenas sganzini'') * Seychelles blue pigeon (''Alectroenas pulcherrimus'') * Mauritius blue pigeon (''Alectroenas nitidissimus'')† * Rodrigues blue pigeon (''Alectroenas payandeei'')† * Réunion blue pigeon (''Alectroenas'' sp.)† ==Taxonomy and evolution== George Robert Gray named a new genus, ''Alectroenas'', for the Mauritius blue pigeon in 1840; ''alektruon'' means domestic cock and ''oinas'' means dove. ''Alectroenas nitidissima'' is the type species of the genus, which includes all blue pigeons.〔 2011: Systematics, morphology, and ecology of pigeons and doves (Aves: Columbidae) of the Mascarene Islands, with three new species. ''Zootaxa'', 3124: 1-62. (Preview ) ISBN 978-1-86977-825-5 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-86977-826-2 (online edition)〕 The ''Alectroenas'' blue pigeons are closely interrelated and occur widely throughout islands in the western Indian Ocean. They are allopatric and can therefore be regarded as a superspecies.〔Goodwin, D. 1983, Pigeons and Doves of the World, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.〕 There are three extant species; the Madagascar blue pigeon, the Comoros blue pigeon, and the Seychelles blue pigeon. The three Mascarene islands were home to a species each, which are all extinct; the Mauritius blue pigeon, the Rodrigues blue pigeon, and the Réunion blue pigeon. Compared to other pigeons, the blue pigeons are medium to large, stocky, have comparatively long wings and tails. They all have distinct mobile hackles on thehead and neck. The tibiotarsus is comparatively long and the tarsometatarsus short.〔 The blue pigeons perhaps colonised the Mascarenes, the Seychelles or a now submerged hot spot island by "island hopping" and evolved into a distinct genus there before reaching Madagascar. Their closest genetic relative is the cloven-feathered dove, ''Drepanoptila holosericea'', of New Caledonia, which they separated from 8–9 million years ago. Their ancestral group appears to be the fruit doves, ''Ptilinopus'', of Southeast Asia and Oceania.〔 (Supplementary information ) (HTML abstract) (Free PDF ) (Supplementary information )〕 The extinct Rodrigues grey pigeon (''Nesoenas rodericana'') was once assigned to the genus ''Alectroenas'', but this was erroneous. In reality, it probably belongs to an undescribed genus, as the sternum's shape is very dissimilar in its details to that of ''Alectroenas'' or ''Columba'', and indeed to any other living genus of pigeons and doves. It is most similar to that of the ''Gallicolumba'' ground doves or to a miniature version of the sternum of a ''Ducula'' imperial pigeon. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Blue pigeon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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