About the Victoria Crowned Pigeon
The Victoria crowned pigeon is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, maroon breast and red irises. It is part of a genus (Goura) of four unique, very large, ground-dwelling pigeons native to the New Guinea region, with the Victoria crowned pigeon measuring as the largest extant species of pigeon. The bird may be easily recognized by the unique white tips on its crests and by its deep 'whooping' sounds made while calling. Its name commemorates the British monarch, Queen Victoria.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The Victoria crowned pigeon is a deep blue-grey colour with a small, black mask. Its feather crest (the signature feature of crowned pigeons other than their size) is conspicuously white-tipped. On the wing coverts is a row of feathers that are a paler blue-gray with maroon tips. These form a distinct wing bar. The chest is a deep purple-maroon color. As in all crowned pigeons, melanism has been observed. The other two crowned pigeons are somewhat superficially similar, but only the western crowned pigeon overlaps in range with the Victoria species. The Scheepmaker's crowned pigeon does not.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Indonesia.
When to see it
Peak activity in November · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Western Crowned PigeonGoura cristataThe western crowned pigeon, also known as the common crowned pigeon or blue crowned pigeon, is a large, blue-grey pigeon with blue lacy crests over the head and dark blue mask feathers around its eyes.
Sclater's Crowned PigeonGoura sclateriiIt has a bluish-grey plumage with elaborate blue lacy crests, red iris and very deep maroon breast.
Learn the Victoria Crowned Pigeon for real
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