Meet The Pink-Necked Green Pigeon – The Most Beautiful Pigeon In The World (15 Pics & Video)

Historically, pigeons don’t get a whole lot of love. Dubbed ‘rats with wings’ and ‘urban terrors,’ these birds don’t get the credit they deserve. But one special pigeon species is helping people see them in a new light.

Carl Linnaeus described the pink-necked green pigeon as Columba vernans in 1771. Its specific name, vernans, is derived from the Latin word vernantis for "brilliant" or "flourishing". It was later moved to the green pigeon genus Treron. Within that genus the species is most closely related to the similar looking orange-breasted green pigeon of India and Southeast Asia.