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The crowned pigeon (Goura) belongs to the pigeon family, which includes 3 species. Outwardly, the types of pigeons are similar, differ only in areas. This species was described in 1819 by the English entomologist James Francis Stevens.
Description of the crowned dove
The crowned pigeon is one of the most beautiful and colorful birds in the world, which is significantly different from its closest relative, the common rock dove.
First of all, the crowned dove attracts attention with an unusual tuft, which consists of feathers with tassels at the end, very similar to an openwork fan. The color is bright, depending on the type of pigeon: it can be purple, chestnut, blue or light blue. The tail consists of 15-18 long tail feathers, wide, rather long, rounded at the end. The body of a crowned dove is in the form of a trapezoid, slightly streamlined, covered with short feathers. The neck is thin, graceful, the head is spherical, small. The eyes are red, the pupils have a bronze tint. The wings of a dove are massive, strong, covered with feathers. Their color is slightly darker than on the body. The wingspan is about 40 cm. In flight, the noise of powerful wings is heard. The paws are scaly with short toes and claws. The beak of a dove is pyramidal in shape, has a blunt tip, quite strong.
Crowned Pigeon Features:
- the appearance of the male and female does not have any special differences;
- differs from its relative the rock dove in large size (reminiscent of a turkey);
- the life expectancy of a pigeon is about 20 years (in captivity with proper care up to 15 years);
- non-migratory bird;
- in its natural habitat, the dove flies little and it is rather difficult for him;
- creates one couple for life.
The dove is named after Queen Victoria for its royal crest. The first birds of the crowned pigeon appeared in Europe at the beginning of 1900 and were settled in the Rotterdam Zoo.
Habitat
The birthplace of the crowned dove is considered to be New Guinea and the islands closest to it – Biak, Yapen, Waigeo, Seram, Salavati. The population in these places has about 10 thousand individuals. Some species are found in Australia, which is why it is sometimes called the Australian pigeon.
Crowned pigeons live in small groups strictly in a certain territory, the boundaries of which are not violated. They inhabit both swampy areas, floodplains, and dry places. Often pigeons can be found near farms where there is no shortage of food.
Varieties
In nature, there are 3 types of crowned dove:
- blue-crested;
- fan bearing;
- chestnut chested.
The blue-crested crowned pigeon has a bright feature that distinguishes it from the other two species – a blue crest, there are no triangular tassels on the tips of the feathers. In addition, it is the largest species. Its weight reaches 3 kg, height is about 80 cm. It inhabits only the southern part of New Guinea.
Fan-bearing is considered the brightest representative of the crowned dove. He attracts attention with his tuft, which resembles a fan. Color brown-red. The weight of the pigeon is about 2,5 kg, the height is up to 75 cm. Of all the species, it is the rarest, as it is subject to extermination by poachers. Lives in the northern outskirts of New Guinea.
The chestnut-breasted crowned pigeon is the smallest: its weight is up to 2 kg, its height is about 70 cm. The color of the breast is brown (chestnut). The crest is blue, without triangular tassels. It lives in the central part of New Guinea.
Life
The crowned pigeon most often moves on the ground in search of food, trying not to rise high. It moves along the branches of trees with the help of paws. Often sits, swinging on a liana. These pigeons fly only when necessary to move to another habitat. When danger arises, pigeons fly up to the lower branches of the nearest trees, remaining there for a long time, snapping their tails, transmitting signals of danger to their brethren.
Crowned pigeons have a lot of different sounds in stock, each of which has its own special meaning: a sound to lure a female, a guttural sound to mark the boundaries of its territory, a male’s battle cry, an alarm signal.
Although this bird has no enemies in nature, due to its trusting nature, it often becomes a victim of predators or poachers. Pigeons are not shy, calm towards humans. They can accept treats and even allow themselves to be picked up.
Crowned pigeons are diurnal. Usually engaged in building a nest, looking for food. Couples try to make time for each other. Young pigeons live in groups with older individuals, being under their supervision.
Food
Basically, crowned pigeons prefer plant foods: fruits, seeds, berries, nuts. They can collect fruits lying under trees on the ground. At the same time, pigeons do not rake the ground cover with their paws, which is completely uncharacteristic for birds of the pigeon family.
Occasionally they can eat snails, insects, larvae, which are found under the bark of trees.
Like all birds, crowned pigeons love fresh greens. Sometimes they raid fields with new shoots.
Having exhausted food supplies completely in one territory, a flock of crowned pigeons moves to another area richer in food resources.
When kept in captivity (zoos, nurseries, private dovecotes), the diet of pigeons consists of grain mixtures: millet, wheat, rice, and so on. With pleasure they eat sunflower seeds, peas, corn, soybeans.
They are also fed boiled chicken yolk, fresh low-fat cottage cheese, carrots. Animal protein is important for the proper development of pigeons, so sometimes they are given boiled meat.
Reproduction
Crowned pigeons are monogamous. They create a couple for life, and if one of the partners dies, then the second, with a greater degree of probability, will be left alone. Before mating, pigeons carefully choose partners through mating games that take place strictly on the territory of the flock. Males during the mating season behave somewhat aggressively: they inflate their breasts, loudly flap their wings, but, as a rule, it doesn’t come to fights – these birds are quite peaceful.
The ritual of choosing a companion for crowned pigeons is as follows. Young males, making special sounds, attract females, bypassing the territory of their flock. Female pigeons, flying over them and listening to the singing of males, find the most suitable one and fall to the ground not far from it.
Further, having already formed a pair, the crowned pigeons together choose a place for the future nest. Before equipping it, they simply incubate it for some time, wanting to show the rest of the birds in the flock the place of their future home. Only after this does the mating process take place, and then the pair proceeds to build the nest. It is interesting that the female is busy with the arrangement, and the male produces material suitable for the nest.
Crowned pigeons build their nests very high (6-10 m), despite their dislike for heights. Immediately after the completion of construction, the female lays eggs. Most often in a single copy, but in some cases, depending on the subspecies, 2-3 eggs. The whole hatching process, in which both parents take part, takes about a month. The female sits at night, and the father of the family during the day. They leave the nest only to get food, sometimes they fly around the territory, showing that it is busy. During this period, future parents take care, care for each other, are together and treat their partner with goodies.
At the moment when the chicks appear, the female pigeon is inseparably in the nest, so the male has to get food for two. In the first week of life, the mother feeds the chicks with regurgitated, digested food from her stomach. When the female is absent for a short time, the father feeds them in the same way. For parents, this is a difficult time. It is necessary to protect the babies from falling out of the nest, feed them, inspect the territory more often, preventing a possible danger. A month later, the first plumage appears in the chicks, they try to fly, get their own food. For about 2 years, young pigeons are under the care of their parents, living near them.
Content in captivity
For keeping in captivity, a crowned pigeon can be purchased at specialized nurseries. Pleasure is very precious. This bird requires both economic and labor costs.
It must be remembered that the crowned dove is a tropical bird. It is necessary to build a spacious enclosure for her and create comfortable conditions for keeping her. The aviary must be closed to avoid drafts, temperature changes, excessive humidity in the room. In the cold season, electric heating will be required, maintaining a constant humidity.
For a pair of crowned pigeons, it is worth equipping a secluded place for a nest, hanging it as high as possible. Usually for pigeons indoors they put a high branchy snag and provide them with the building material necessary for arranging the nest. Everything in the aviary should resemble the natural habitat of birds – tropical forests.
Not all pigeon lovers can keep them, but with the right approach, if all conditions are created, birds can live and even breed in captivity.
Conclusion
The crowned pigeon is one of the rare species of the pigeon family in the wild, but the most common in captivity. It is included in the “Red List” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Capture for keeping in captivity, as well as hunting for them, is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. But because of the bright plumage, poachers continue to hunt these birds. As a result, the population of crowned pigeons, despite all the laws, is rapidly declining.