Victoria crowned pigeon

Goura victoria

Photo by Nancy Johnston (Nancy's Bird Journal)

Common name:
Victoria crowned pigeon (en); pombo-coroado-de-Victoria (pt); goura de Victoria (fr); gura victoria (es); fächertaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is found in northern New Guinea, from Geelvink Bay, Indonesia, to Astrolabe Bay, and an isolated area around Collingwood Bay in easternmost Papua New Guinea. Also on the Yapen islands and in Biak-Supiori where it may have been introduced.

Size:
These large pigeons are 73-80 cm long and weigh 2,3-3,5 kg.

Habitat:
The Victoria crowned pigeon is found in lowland rainforests and swamp forests, up to an altitude of 600 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, taking fallen fruits, berries and seeds. Ocasionally, they will also eat insects and snails.

Breeding:
Victoria crowned pigeons are monogamous and tend to mate for life. They can breed all year round and the nest is a platform made of stems, sticks and palm leaves, placed on a tree. The female lays a single white egg, which she incubates alone for 30 days. The chick is fed by both parents and fledges about 4 weeks after hatching, but continue to receive food from parents for another 8-9 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a relatively large breeding range, but the global population is estimated at just 1.500-7.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining rapidly as a result of habitat loss and degradation through selective logging and the development of oil palm plantations, as well as on-going hunting pressure and capture for the cage bird trade.