The nesting behaviour of a New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) fitted with a radio transmitter was closely monitored in lowland forest at Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve. The bird and its mate nested in January 1985, and a single chick fledged in early March. At least one week before this chick left the nest the radio-telemetered parent started incubation on a second nest c. 100 m away. This second nest, and a subsequent one in late March, failed because of disturbance by predators. Clutch overlap as a breeding tactic by New Zealand pigeons is discussed in relation to possible constraints on reproduction.