Common Name: Sao Tome Green-pigeon
Scientific Name: Treron sanctithomae

Distribution: Endemic to the island of Sao Tome in the Gulf of Guinea, and found throughout the island from the coastline to the peak of Pico de Sao Tomé.

Biology: The Sao Tome Green-pigeon is the most common and widely distributed one of the two endemic species of columbiform found on Sao Tome, the other one being the much rarer Maroon Pigeon.

The Sao Tome Green-pigeon inhabits the forest of the island, from the costal plantations to the stunted forest in the highlands, with the species being recorded breeding basically right at the very top of the island, during fieldwork conducted by AvianTracker (see photos). Like other representatives from the family Treron the Sao Tome Green-pigeon is vegetarian and forages on fruit and leaves of various trees, with a preference for the elongated fruit of the Umbrella-tree (Musanga sp.) for which the species uses its arched bill to pick the fruit effectively.
This pigeon is one of the most vocal birds on the island, and its rattling and whistling song and associated calls is still a common sound throughout the forests of Sao Tome.

IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered

The Sao Tome Green-pigeon is currently listed as Endangered due to a concerning drop in population size doing the last years. This decline is due to both habitat destruction and fragmentation, however there is no doubt that the biggest threat facing the species is the high hunting pressure from local communities: the species is the favourite quarry of hunters, with up to 30 individuals being recorded taken in one day by a small group of hunters.
Like other Treron species this pigeon relies mainly on its camouflage to avoid predation, meaning that the birds will freeze when feeling threatened - which makes it easy for the keen-eyed Saotomean hunters to pluck them from their perch. The hunting pressure exerted on the species is concernigly evident when visiting the forest of the island, as feathers and plucking sites can be readily found near inhabited areas.
Yet, despite this, the species is still rather common, so the removing the overhang from hunting, with implementation and enforcement of bans, could allow the species to bounce back.