3-1-2016 HONG KONG - VICTORIA CROWNED PIGEON (Goura victoria)

The Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria ) 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. 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.

The Victoria crowned pigeon is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, maroon breast, and red eyes. It is part of a genus (Goura) of four unique, very large, ground-dwelling pigeons native to the New Guinea region. The bird may be easily recognized by the unique white tips on its crests and by its deep 'whooping' sounds made while calling.

Victoria crowned pigeons are found in northern New Guinea and surrounding islands and in parts of Indonesia. They inhabit lowland moist and swamp forests and often occur in areas that were former alluvial plains, including sago forests.

Victoria crowned pigeons are gregarious birds. They usually travel in pairs or small groups as they search for food. They walk with an unhurried gait along the forest floor. Victoria crowned pigeons spend most of their time on the ground and fly up into trees only when disturbed or to roost at night. When disturbed, these birds fly straight up into the canopy or a large horizontal branch of a large forest tree. After being disturbed, they may remain on their perch for a considerable time engaging in contact calls and flicking their tails. The males regularly engage in aggressive displays to establish dominance. In these interactions, the pigeons puff up their chests and repeatedly raise their wings as if preparing to strike their opponent. They also make short dashes at each other and may actually hit one another, but rarely make contact and can be completely peaceful towards other males outside of the early mating season. Victoria crowned pigeons use various calls to communicate with each other. Their contact call is a deep, muffled, and rather human-like 'ummm' or 'hmmm'. They make a loud clapping sound when they take flight and their mating calls consist of a deep 'hoota-hoota-hoota-hoota-hoota' sound. When defending their territories, these birds make a resounding 'whup-up, whup-up, whup-up' call.