Species · GBIF taxon 2495204
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Goura victoriaAlso known as Victoria Goura, Victoria Crowned-Pigeon
Victoria crowned pigeons are the largest living pigeons on Earth, striking observers with their deep blue-grey plumage, maroon breasts, and spectacular lace-like crests tipped in white. These ground-dwelling birds forage in small family groups across the forest floor of New Guinea, communicating with low, resonant whooping calls that carry through the dense understory. When threatened, they fly clumsily up into the lower canopy, making a loud clapping sound with their wings.
FrugivorousGround-dwellingVocal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Fallen figs
- Seeds
- Invertebrates
Predators
- Amethystine pythons
- Raptors
- Feral dogs
ThreatsHabitat loss from logging, and hunting for their beautiful feathers and meat
HabitatsLowland rainforests, swamp forests, and alluvial plains
Life spanUp to 25 to 30 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderColumbiformes
- FamilyColumbidae
- GenusGoura
- SpeciesGoura victoria
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for a massive blue-grey bird with a fan-like crest of white-tipped lacy feathers and a maroon breast.
- Support conservation
- Observe quietly from a distance to avoid disrupting their foraging or nesting behaviors.
Responsible observation
- Listen for calls: Listen for their deep, booming whoop-whoop calls echoing through the forest floor.
- Watch the ground: Scan the leaf litter in lowland forests where they forage in small groups.
- Keep your distance: Avoid sudden movements to prevent flushing them into the lower canopy.
Close Relative (c) dims2012, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative Gideon walther / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
Close Relative "Nicobar Pigeon Portrait" by Steve Wilson - over 10 million views Thanks !! is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Keep collecting in Fauna
Found in Collections
Species set
Urban Dwellers
Victoria Crowned Pigeon is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
—/7
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.