Pigeons are a common sight in every major city around the world, and sometimes they are not very welcomed as they tend to do a lot of damage. But who knew that there are more than 300 species of pigeons and doves in the world, and some look stunning.
One of the most beautiful ones is the Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria) which has a crest of feathers that looks like an intricate doily. This one-of-a-kind pigeon species stands out from the crowd and it is native to the New Guinea region where the locals named it after Queen Victoria.
This pigeon species can be recognized after their deep-blue grey feathers and ruby red eyes, but of course, their biggest peculiarity is their crown or crest which makes them truly royal.
The tips of the Victorian pigeon’s crest are usually white, and this makes them stand out among the other crowned pigeon species, which are the western crowned pigeon and the Scheepmaker’s crowned pigeon.
Victorian pigeons are known to be friendly and to live in pairs, but if threatened they will emit a loud noise, resembling clapping.
The sad fact is that due to environmental threats, they are becoming an endangered species and many of them live in captivity until the end of their lives.
These majestic birds are slowly losing habitat due to logging and are also under threat from people who hunt them for their feathers and meat. In fact, they are rarely found near populated areas due to excessive hunting. They are now listed as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
