Crowned Pigeon

                 The crowned pigeons (Goura) consists of three species, the Western Crowned Pigeon (Goura cristata), the Southern Crowned Pigeon (Goura scheepmakeri) and the Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria). They are the largest extant members of the pigeons clade (Columbidae). The three crowned pigeons are alike and replace each other geographically. The genus was described by James Francis Stephens in 1819

               

They are natives of New Guinea and a few surrounding islands. They forage on the forest floor eating fallen fruit, seeds and snails. The males and females are almost identical, but during courtship the male will coo and bow for the female. Both parents incubate one egg for 28 to 30 days and the chick takes another 30 days to fledge. The life span can be over 20 years.