The Victoria Crowned Pigeon

The Victoria crowned pigeon is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, maroon breast, and red irises. It is part of a genus of four unique, very large, ground-dwelling pigeons native to the New Guinea region.

The bird may be easily recognized by the unique white tips on its crests and by its deep 'whooping' sounds made while calling.Its name commemorates the British monarch Queen Victoria.

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 is a row of feathers that are a paler blue-gray with maroon tips.

 The southern crowned pigeon does not. In the western species, the crown is more scraggly and hair-like, the chest is a uniform blue-gray and not maroon, and a less distinct wing-bar is present. Both sexes are similar.

Sources : Google Images & wikipedia