Victoria Crowned Pigeon | 台北市立動物園資訊網

PHYSICALCHARACTERISTICS.TheVictoriacrownedpigeon,Gouravictoria,andtheCommoncrownedpigeon,Gouracristata,arethepeacocksofthepigeon​ ...

The Victoria crowned pigeon, Goura victoria, and the Common crowned pigeon, Goura cristata, are the peacocks of the pigeon family. They are the largest surviving pigeons.

The crowned pigeons, belonging to the family Gourinae, are large blue-gray birds with deep maroon below. The most noticeable difference between these two pigeons is that the Victoria crowned pigeon’s crest is tipped in white while the Common crowned pigeon’s is not.

Crowned pigeons differ from other pigeons in having sixteen instead of twelve tail feathers, in the scaling of their legs, in lacking an oil gland and gall bladder, and in possessing a large, fan-shaped crest of erect lacy feathers. The crest is so large and beautiful that these birds have been hunted as much as the birds of paradise.