Goura cristata

(Pallas, 1764)

Vernacular names
English : Western crowned-pigeon
French : Goura couronné

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Columbiformes
Family : Columbidae
Notes : No subspecies known

Identification
Very large pigeon growing to 75 cm in length for a weight of 2.4 kg. Global coloration greyish-blue with white wing patch and purple areas on upper wings and back. Long crest made of lacy feathers with no white tips. Blue breast.

Range and habitat
This species occurs in eastern Indonesia, in West Papuan Islands (Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, Misool) and north-west New Guinea. Introduced on Seram. Lives in interior of lowland rainforests, flooded areas and mangroves up to 500 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : VULNERABLE
CITES : Appendix II
Status : Species declining because of habitat loss, especially around villages, and hunting for food and its feathers. Local extinctions have occurred.
Ex-Situ Programs : SSP in America, ESB in Europe

Observation

 

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