Skip to main content
198 Featured Specimen
Victoria crowned pigeon

Details

Victoria crowned pigeon

Goura victoria

Size
Wingspan 70–80 cm · 2–3.5 kg
Diet
Herbivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Pair
Lifespan
8-25 years

The Victoria crowned pigeon is a large pigeon of New Guinea lowland forests. Diurnal pairs walk the forest floor in search of fallen fruit.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasian

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It uses humid lowland forest, swamp forest, and edges. Fruit-rich forest floor and low branches for refuge are important.

Appearance

Wingspan is about 70-80 cm and weight about 2-3.5 kg. A blue-gray body, fan-shaped crest, red eyes, and rounded wings are distinctive.

Behavior

Active by day, it walks slowly on the ground in pairs or small groups. When disturbed, it flies up to low branches for safety.

Feeding

It is herbivorous, eating fallen fruit, seeds, and nuts. It picks food from leaf litter across the forest floor.

Reproduction

Pairs build stick nests in trees and guard the egg and chick. Adults feed the young with crop milk.

Notes

Its status is listed as Near Threatened. Hunting pressure and loss of lowland forest are important concerns.