Description
The Victoria Crowned Pigeon is a deep blue-gray color with a small black mask. Its feather crest (the signature feature of crowned pigeons other than their size) is conspicuously white-tipped. On the wing coverts, there is a row of feathers that are a paler blue-gray with maroon tips. These form a distinct wing bar. The chest is a deep purple-maroon color. As in all crowned pigeons, melanism has been observed. The other two crowned pigeons are somewhat superficially similar but only the Western Crowned Pigeon overlaps in range with the Victoria species. The Southern Crowned Pigeon does not. In the Westerns species, the crown is more scraggly and hair-like, the chest is a uniform blue-gray and not maroon and there is a less distinct wing-bar. Both sexes are similar.
This species is typically 73 to 75 cm (29 to 30 in) long and weighs 2.38 kilograms (5.3 lbs). Some specimens may exceed a length of 80 cm (31 in) and a weight of 3.5 kg (7.7 lb). It is marginally larger than the two other crowned pigeons on average and is thus considered the largest surviving species of pigeon of earth. The standard measurements among pigeons on mainland New Guinea are as follows: the wing chord is 36–39 cm (14–15 in), the tail is 27–30.1 cm (11–11.9 in), the bill is 3.2–3.5 cm (1.3–1.4 in) and the unfeathered tarsus is 8.5–9.8 cm (3.3–3.9 in).
Like other crowned pigeons, this species makes a loud clapping sound when it takes flight. The mating calls of this species are also similar to the other two species of crowned pigeon, consisting of a deep hoom-hoom-hoom-hoom-hoom sound. When defending their territories, these birds make a resounding whup-up, whup-up, whup-up call. Their contact call is a deep, muffled and rather human-like ummm or hmmm.
There are two subspecies of the Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Goura victoria beccarii is found on the mainland of New Guinea. Goura victoria victoria, the nominate race can be found on the islands of Yapen, Biak and Supiori. The nominate subspecies is markedly smaller, with a wing chord measurement of 31.6–33.2 cm (12.4–13.1 in), with less robust legs and feet and darker overall plumage. The nominate has a sparser crest with black on the wing coverts and right above the tail.
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