The Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria) is one of the world’s largest and most beautiful pigeons. It has a striking bluish-grey body, a rich maroon breast, and bright red eyes. Its elegant blue, lace-like crest makes it truly special, which gives it a royal look. This unique bird is named after Queen Victoria, the famous British monarch.
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Unlike many other birds, it spends most of its time on the forest floor rather than flying in the sky. You can easily recognize it with the white tips on its feathers and deep, ‘whooping’ calls.
Would you like to learn more about its natural habitat, diet, or how it lives in captivity? Let’s find this article in detail.
Origin and History:
The Victoria-crowned pigeon comes from New Guinea and was later introduced to nearby islands. People have been breeding these birds in captivity for hundreds of years. Today, you can often see them in zoos and aviaries in the United States and the United Kingdom, but they are not very common as pets.
Did you know that this bird is the largest living pigeon? It is also the closest living relative of the extinct dodo bird. The Victoria crowned pigeon was named after Queen Victoria because of its fancy blue crown, which looks like a delicate lace pattern. With its royal appearance, it carries itself with grace and elegance.
In the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, these birds were once hunted for their meat and feathers. Sadly, due to hunting and habitat destruction, their population declined rapidly, bringing them close to extinction.
They are now a protected species. Over time, their status has improved from “threatened” and “vulnerable” to “near threatened.” However, deforestation continues to be a big problem, putting their natural home at risk.
Victoria Crowned Pigeon Appearance:
The Victoria-crowned pigeon is a large, beautiful bird with a bluish-grey body, a maroon-colored chest, and bright red eyes. But what makes it truly special is its elegant blue crest, which looks like delicate lace.
This bird belongs to the Goura genus, a group of four unique, large, ground-dwelling pigeons that live in the New Guinea region. Unlike regular pigeons, the Victoria-crowned pigeon spends most of its time walking on the ground instead of flying.
One of the easiest ways to recognize this bird is by the white tips on its stunning crest. It also has a deep “whooping” call, which makes it sound different from other pigeons. This majestic bird is truly one of a kind.
Distribution:
The Victoria crowned pigeon is found in northern New Guinea, nearby islands, and parts of Indonesia. These birds love lowland moist forests and swampy areas where the ground stays damp and full of life.
They are often seen in places that were once alluvial plains and land that used to be covered by rivers and floods. They also live in sago forests, home to tall palm-like trees that provide food and shelter.
These pigeons prefer to stay close to the ground, walking through the dense forests instead of flying high. Their habitat is rich in water, plants, and food, making it the perfect place for them to thrive.
Habitat:
The Victoria-crowned pigeon lives in the lowland and marsh forests of northern New Guinea and nearby islands. It prefers wet, forested areas with plenty of food and shelter.
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This bird is often found in places that were once alluvial plains, which means they used to be covered by rivers or floods. It also lives in sago forests, where tall, palm-like trees grow.
Even though these pigeons mostly stay at or near sea level, sometimes they venture up into the hills. They have been spotted at elevations as high as 3,000 feet. But they don’t stay in the mountains for long. These birds love the low, damp forests where they feel most at home.
Personality and Behavior
Victoria crowned pigeons as smart, calm, and easy to tame. Because of their gentle nature, they are popular at zoos, where they often roam freely. These birds love to wander and forage for food on the ground, which makes them happiest.
Diet: Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Like other pigeons, Victoria crowned pigeons love to forage on the ground for food. They snack on fallen fruits, seeds, grains, and small invertebrates like insects in the wild. One of their favorite treats? Figs!
A high-quality seed and grain mix is essential for pigeons in captivity. Many bird keepers use a standard dove mix as the base of their diet. Along with seeds, these pigeons should also eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day to stay healthy.
A good daily portion is about 1 cup of seed mix and 1 cup of fruits and veggies, but this can be adjusted based on how much they eat. Unlike some birds, Victoria-crowned pigeons don’t tend to overeat. To keep their food fresh, any uneaten fruits and vegetables should be removed at the end of the day to prevent spoilage.
Sounds and Calls: Victoria Crowned Pigeon
The Victoria-crowned pigeon doesn’t make the soft cooing sounds you might expect from a pigeon. Instead, it has a deep, hollow “boom” that can be loud and surprising! This unique sound helps the bird communicate with others in its group and warn of danger.
The Victoria-crowned pigeon is a large, beautiful bird with a bluish-grey body, a maroon-colored chest, and bright red eyes. But what makes it truly special is its elegant blue crest, which looks like delicate lace.
Can Victoria crowned pigeon fly?
Victoria-crowned pigeons are happiest on the ground, spending most of their time walking around and exploring. They can fly, but they don’t do it often. If they get scared or sense danger, they’ll quickly flap their wings and shoot straight into the trees to find a safe spot. They fly up to sleep on a sturdy branch, away from predators at night.
Mating and Raising Chicks:
Victoria crowned pigeons as monogamous, which means they choose one mate for life. Their breeding season happens late in the wet season and continues into the dry season.
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To impress a female, the male puts on a unique display, he lowers his head, stretches forward, and swings his head up and down while wagging his fanned-out tail. If the female is interested, they become a pair.
When it’s time to build a nest, the male gathers sticks, stems, and palm leaves and brings them to the female, who carefully builds a sturdy nest in a tree. The female lays one white egg, and both parents keep the egg warm for about 30 days.
When the chick hatches, it is helpless, blind, and utterly dependent on its parents. The mother does most of the brooding, but both parents help feed and care for the chick. At around 13 weeks old, the young bird leaves the nest, though its parents still watch over and care for it. When it reaches 15 months old, it is fully grown and ready to start its own family.
Caring for Victoria Crowned Pigeon:
Victoria-crowned pigeons love spending time on the ground and need lots of space to move around. To stay happy and healthy, they need at least 200 square feet of ground space in their enclosure. They also like having roosts at different heights where they can perch and rest.
Because they require significant space, they aren’t the easiest pets to keep. If you can’t provide an enclosure the size of a bedroom, then adopting a Victoria-crowned pigeon might not be the best idea.
These birds do best when kept in pairs rather than alone. A single bird might get lonely. However, males may fight each other during the breeding season, so giving them enough space is essential. Their courtship is beautiful, males perform an elaborate dance to impress the females. A pair typically lays up to three eggs yearly, and both parents help incubate the eggs. After about a month, the eggs hatch, and the parents care for the chicks, called squabs.
Even though these pigeons are gentle and friendly, they are not low-maintenance pets. They are natural foragers, which means they search for food on the ground. Their enclosure needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent them from accidentally eating their own droppings, which could make them sick.
Since they are tropical birds, Victoria-crowned pigeons need a warm and humid environment. They can’t handle cold temperatures below 40°F. If you live in a cold climate, you must provide extra heat and shelter to keep them comfortable. Their enclosure should also protect them from wind and rain.
These pigeons usually get along well with other bird species, but it’s best if they are the only ground birds in their space. For example, keeping them with chickens isn’t a good idea because chickens are too active and noisy, which can stress out the pigeons.
Common Health Problems:
Victoria-crowned pigeons can develop serious health issues if their environment isn’t kept clean. The biggest danger comes from fungal infections caused by their droppings.
When their waste isn’t cleaned up, fungal spores grow on it. If the birds breathe in these spores, they can develop dangerous respiratory diseases like histoplasmosis and candidiasis. These illnesses can be fatal if not treated in time.
Exercise:
Victoria-crowned pigeons love to move around, stretch, and explore. Like other pigeons, they need lots of space to stay active and healthy.
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These birds enjoy foraging while searching for food on the ground. You can make this activity more exciting by hiding treats or placing their food in different spots around their enclosure. This keeps them engaged and entertained while encouraging their natural behaviors. A spacious, stimulating environment helps them stay happy and healthy!
Population Threats:
The Victoria crowned pigeon is the rarest of the three crowned pigeon species in the wild. However, it is the most common one kept in captivity.
One of the biggest threats to these beautiful birds is habitat loss caused by logging. As forests disappear, so does their home. These pigeons are also heavily hunted, especially in areas where people have easy access to guns.
Sadly, they are often not afraid of humans, which makes them an easy target. Hunters kill them for their stunning feathers and meat. Because of this, they have become scarce near places where people live. However, they have learned to be more cautious around humans in the wild.
Population Numbers
According to the IUCN Red List, only 10,000–20,000 Victoria-crowned pigeons are left in the wild. They are listed as Near Threatened (NT), and their numbers are still decreasing.
Conclusion:
The Victoria-crowned pigeon is a truly unique and beautiful bird. With its striking blue feathers, fancy crest, and gentle nature, it stands out among pigeons.
These birds need plenty of space, a proper diet, and a clean environment to stay healthy and happy. They are social creatures that do best in pairs and require special care, especially in colder climates.
Sadly, their population in the wild is decreasing due to habitat loss and hunting. Conservation efforts are essential to protect them for the future. Whether in the wild or captivity, these birds are a reminder of nature’s beauty and the need to care for all living creatures.