 Few descriptions of the behaviour of Mauritius blue pigeons are known; unpublished notes by Desjardins are now lost. An individual was brought to the Netherlands around 1790, where it survived in the menagerie of William V, Prince of Orange for three months before dying of oedema. The only two known life drawings of the species (by G. Haasbroek) depict this individual. The illustrations show a displaying male raising its hackles into a ruff. This is a characteristic behaviour of other blue pigeons, too, and they can also vibrate their hackles. The following description of the display behaviour and calls of this individual was written on the back on the coloured drawing by Arnout Vosmaer, director of the menagerie:
