Characteristics of the Crowned Pigeon
For city dwellers, pigeons have long been a part of the landscape. We are accustomed to a certain external appearance of these birds, and it is hard to imagine that relatives, completely different from traditional pigeons, live in distant lands. Meet the exotic bird Crowned pigeon.
Crowned pigeon
Appearance
The habitat of the hero of this article is Australia and the islands of New Guinea. Their life expectancy is up to 20 years. The crowned pigeon is the largest representative of its family and resembles a large peacock in its appearance. What are the characteristic features of the appearance of a Venetian dove?
- The first thing that catches your eye when looking at a bird is a whimsical crest, as if woven from openwork, reminiscent of a fan. This "crown" is quite large, and the dove wears it majestically.
- The curled tail of 15 tail feathers is stretched in length by several tens of centimeters.
- Powerful, developed wings that help the bird to keep balance well in the air.
- The scaly legs of the Crowned Pigeon are hook-shaped.
- The light blue beak is bent down.
- The color is similar to that of the common pigeon, but somewhat brighter. The area below the neck and part of the wing has a burgundy tint. The coffee-colored eyes are surrounded by a dark halo.
Varieties
The catchy and handsome Venetian stands out against the backdrop of nature. From a distance it can be mistaken for a rare breed of turkey. But not all members of this breed look the same. Consider the subspecies, of which Crowned has three.
- The Crowned Crowned Pigeon is the most stunning and rarest member of the breed. Is on the verge of extinction. It lives in the New Guinea Islands and prefers swampy areas or forests. Representatives of the species keep in flocks. Large and fleshy, the Fan Pigeon prides itself on its bright blue plumage. Its abdomen is brown in color, and a white stripe can usually be seen on the wing. The weight of the fan-nosed representative is gaining quickly and eventually reaches about 2.5 kg, the average height is 70 cm.
- The distinctive sign of the Blue-Crested Crowned Pigeon is the structure of this very crest. He has a "headdress" of blue color, mossy, reminiscent of thick human hair; There are no "beards" on the crest. The strip is located on the back and wings. The rest is similar to the pigeons that live in our area. It weighs, like the previous one, 2.5 kg, and reaches 80 cm in height. Males of the Blue-Crested Crowned Pigeon are larger than females. Blue-crested is not prone to flying (unless in case of danger), and his gait is sedate, waddling.
- Chestnut-breasted got its name not only for the color of the chest, but also for most of its body. It is easy to spot, so this species is very popular among hunters who want to feast on the delicious meat of the Crowned Bird. This demand has led to dire consequences: the species is threatened with extinction.
Breeding and nursing chicks, feeding
Plants and insects make up the bulk of the bird's diet.Living in the wild, the winged ones are happy to peck fruits and berries, seeds, grain, hunt snails and worms. In zoological gardens and private farms, such a pigeon is treated with grain mixtures, as well as "human food", they give chopped meat, milk, boiled eggs, cottage cheese, and moistened bread. Calcium must be supplied to the body in sufficient quantities.
A bird like the Crowned Pigeon has a special "pigeon fidelity". Having created a family, a dove and a dove do not part until the death of one of the couple. And after that, the individual left alone will not look for a new companion. During the mating season, the male makes specific sounds similar to drumming. This is done in order to attract a future girlfriend. The one that bites first will become a life companion.
Autumn is the breeding season for crowned heads. The nests, located at a height of about 10 m above ground level, are twisted together by the pair: the male carries fern branches, and the female builds a “throne” for herself. The family incubates an egg (most often in a single copy) weighing 70 g for a little less than a month: the male - during the day, the female - at night. The couple is very responsible and conscientious about the matter. While one sits in the nest, the other flies in search of food, because at the age of 1.5 weeks the chick is already able to consume normal food instead of mother's milk. After the first month, the cub goes for food on its own, however, it can be considered an adult only at 2 years old.
Captive breeding
The domestication of this unusual bird by humans began at the beginning of the 19th century. Many poultry farmers are interested in the question, is it possible to breed this exotic bird at home? Cases of keeping a crowned bearer in private farms are rare, since these birds require certain conditions. Heat-loving pigeons, originally from hot countries, do not tolerate coolness. In addition, they need space, so aviaries should be equipped as spacious as possible.
The main goal of keeping crowned heads in the courtyards is aesthetic, because they are able to decorate any landscape. Unfortunately, this beauty often plays against its owners: in pursuit of a valuable skillful exotic feather, people destroy birds. Hence the catastrophic decline in the population. The Crowned Crowned Pigeon, like the Blue-crested Pigeon, has 2500-10,000 specimens of its species. The best preserved is Chestnut-breasted, here we are talking about 20,000 copies.
A special society is officially engaged in protecting the Crowned Pigeon from attempts on his life. Unfortunately, this does not give a 100% guarantee that the Exot will not become a victim of the outlandish feather hunter. Another reason for the decrease in the number of birds is keeping them in inappropriate conditions. It is extremely important to protect the natural world, not putting your desires above the life of a living being, because the Crowned beautiful pigeon is worthy of respect.