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| Common Name: | Victoria crowned pigeon | Family: | Columibdae |
| Latin Name: | Goura victoria | Diet: | Herbivore |
| Type: | Bird | Habitat: | Woodlands |
| Native To: | Asia | Social Unit: | Individual |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Vulnerable |
Victoria crowned pigeons at Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo has three Victoria crowned pigeons; a female born in 1999, a male born in 1995 and a young female that was born in June 2010.
Victoria crowned pigeons are the largest species of pigeon. They are around the size of a female turkey. They have an impressive crest of feathers on top of the head, from which the species gets its name.
Crowned pigeons are long-lived birds; some individuals in captivity have been known to live into their mid-twenties. Over the years, our breeding adult pair has successfully reared several chicks, which have in turn been moved to other zoos to participate in the European captive breeding programme. In total, eighteen other collections and a total of approximately 100 individual birds make up this coordinated programme.
At Edinburgh Zoo, Victoria crowned pigeons are fed on a variety of fruit, mixed seeds and pheasant pellets. Their wild diet is quite similar, with fruit and seeds being the main components along with a few invertebrates. They will happily breed all year round as they are housed indoors in a heated enclosure. They originate from the tropics, where there are not seasons as we know them. Look out for either parent sitting on a large untidy nest.
Where they can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
Three of our Victoria crowned pigeons can be found in the Australasian walk-through aviary next to the koala enclosure.
Victoria crowned pigeons in the wild
The Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria) is native to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It can also be found on Biak-Supiori and the Yapen islands. Its favoured habitat is dry and wet forested areas from sea level up to around 600 meters into mountainous regions.
Victoria Crowned Pigeons are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list of endangered species, meaning that the species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. The main threats that they face in the wild are illegal poaching and hunting and habitat destruction as more of New Guinea is being developed.
Breeding programme category: ESB
IUCN Red List category: Vulnerable
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