Crowned pigeon: breed description, habitat and interesting facts

Pigeon breeding is a hobby that has not lost its popularity for centuries. Beauty, an abundance of different breeds, the opportunity to observe the behavior of birds - all this adds to the attractiveness of an unusual hobby. The presence of a crowned pigeon in a flock is the dream of many pigeons, the bird is an endangered species, the combination of rarity and beauty makes it a particularly desirable acquisition.

Appearance and features

The crowned pigeon is the largest bird of the pigeon order. The weight of the bird reaches 2.5 kilograms, the length is about 70 centimeters. The upper part of the body is covered with bright blue or blue plumage, the lower part is chestnut-brown. There is a transverse white stripe on the wings.

Important: the crowned dove is an independent genus of birds, extinct hermits and dodo birds are considered the closest relatives.

Three existing subspecies are similar in appearance; feathered habitats differ. There are: blue-crested, fan-bearing and chestnut-breasted varieties. The crowned pigeon was discovered in 1819, for a long time it was considered an artificially bred and feral variety of pigeons, but this theory turned out to be erroneous.

The magnificent fan-shaped tuft on the head is a distinctive feature of the crowned pigeon, and it is present in females and males. Therefore, birds are difficult to distinguish externally. The crest rises and straightens or folds, depending on the he alth and mood of the bird.

He is 3 times the size of a pigeon's head. The fan-bearing crowned pigeon has a crest with triangular tassels at the ends, the blue-crested appearance does not have such tassels, the crest is bright, similar to a fluffy fan.The chestnut variety is distinguished by its plumage, its crest is gray-gray, with characteristic tassels, the color of the feathers is brown.

The impressive size, blue, blue, chestnut shades of plumage make it noticeable, and a friendly disposition allows you to settle next to a person. An albino of this species has not been described, but since any animal and bird can be an albino, it is possible that a snow-white dove with a charming crest on its head lives somewhere, although in nature they usually do not survive.

Habitats of the Crowned Pigeon

The crowned fan-bearing pigeon lives in Australia, where it is considered a symbol of peace and, according to legend, protects the natives from wars, in New Guinea and on the adjacent islands there are all varieties of birds.

Settles in low-lying moist forests, wetlands, in mangroves. It has large wings and flies well. The dove belongs to the endangered species, is listed in the International Red Book. Man invades his natural habitat and exterminates because of the beautiful feathers. Small groups of crowned pigeons can settle next to a person near fruit plantations.

What does a bird eat

In their natural habitat, the diet of birds includes the fruits of plants, grains, plant roots. They find food on the ground, occasionally they can eat worms or other insects.

At home, food should be balanced and varied, it is introduced:

cereal blends (chopped beans, corn, sunflower, wheat, millet, rye);
crushed snails with shells;
meal worms;
small shrimp;
chopped vegetables and fruits;
cottage cheese;
hard-boiled chicken eggs minced together with shells.

Crowned pigeons are suitable for bird-of-paradise feed mixes as they share similar habitats and food preferences.

Character and lifestyle

Birds are diurnal, they are active during daylight hours and sleep at night. Birds spend most of the day on the ground, looking for food, in case of danger they take off on the branches of trees, flapping their wings loudly and making a lot of noise. Crowned pigeons often settle in small groups next to a person, they are not afraid of people and show themselves in all their glory, importantly walking around and fully unfolding their crest. Farms and fruit plantations are a constant source of food.

Social structure and reproduction

Crowned pigeons create a pair for life, if one bird from the pair dies, the second remains lonely. When courting a girlfriend, the dove makes sounds resembling a drum roll, or gently rumbles, spending a lot of time with the chosen one, and together with her choosing a place for a nest. Young birds form small groups, those who have found a pair keep apart, the dove gently cares for the dove.

Large birds fly little, usually walk on the ground or perch on the lower branches of trees. Having determined the place of the future nesting, the birds sit on it together, letting their relatives know that the place is occupied by a couple. The nest is built at a height of 7-10 meters. In the middle of autumn, the dove lays 1 egg, sometimes there can be 2 of them.

The baby emerges from the egg after 4 weeks of incubation. The female stays in the nest at night, the male incubates the egg during the day. After birth, the chick depends on its parents for 1-1.5 months, by the end of this time it begins to fly and becomes independent.

Natural enemies

They have no natural animal enemies. Only in New Zealand, where crowned pigeons were brought at the beginning of the 20th century, stoats began to destroy their nests. Occasionally bats attack the chicks. For adult birds, only humans are dangerous.

People catch birds for beautiful plumage, delicious meat. Man occupies the habitual habitats of birds. That is why the number of birds in the world is constantly declining.

Population and species status

Crowned pigeons are rare and endangered species. The largest population of birds, numbering about 10,000 individuals, lives in New Guinea. From there they were brought to Australia and New Zealand. Today they are grown on farms, then sold to zoos around the world or carried out by private orders. The meat of these pigeons is considered a delicacy; their large size allows them to be grown for gastronomic purposes.The appearance of chicks in the crowned pigeon in zoos is rare and is a great success.

Crowned dove and man

Man is the main enemy of this bird. He exterminates birds for the sake of tasty meat, beautiful feathers. Destruction of forests, mangroves, drainage of swamps leads to a decrease in the population. However, the farms created today for growing crowned pigeons, the laws protecting these birds, give hope for the safety of the species.

In captivity, a pigeon lives 15-20 years, under the right conditions. They need warmth, balanced nutrition and spacious enclosures. You can buy them by prior order from the country of residence. The cost of one bird reaches 60 thousand dollars.

Interesting facts

Pigeons stop taking care of the chick as soon as it starts to fly, they become adults at 2 years old. Since the parents jointly incubate the egg, if one of them dies, the chick dies. Large birds love to pose for the camera, often showing off in front of a person if they do not feel threatened.

Any person who is serious about breeding rare breeds of pigeons dreams of having a crowned pigeon in his collection. Some manage to create the necessary conditions for birds and even get offspring, but to achieve this, extensive knowledge and experience are needed.