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Region: Australasia Class: Aves Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae Genus: Goura Scientific Name: Goura victoria
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Description:
May grow to size of large chicken. Body appears rather squat with blunt end. From this, the long tail sweeps the ground. Small head (characteristic of pigeons), red coloured eyes surrounded by dark narrow eye patch. Long hooked beak. Legs are long as opposed to flying pigeons. Adult can weigh up to 3.4 kg Length: 75-85 cm
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Distribution:
Forests of New Guinea and a few adjacent islands.
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Habitat:
Dense forests of the plain and coast. Often seen near estuaries. They live in regions where there is little competition from game birds. Terrestrial bird that lives on the ground and does not fly unless forced to or when flying to roost in a tree branch at night. It spends a greater part of its time searching for food in soft, marshy ground of its native jungle.
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Food:
mainly fruit
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Reproduction and Development:
Bowing displays are performed by the male during courtship toward the female. He lowers his head and displays his plumage (crest) to best advantage. Nest is quite large and usually in a tree between 3.5 and 15 m up. Usually made of twigs, stems or roots. Males share nesting duties. One egg usually laid, incubation 28-29 days. Young are helpless when first hatched; covered with a filamentous down. They are fed by both parents the first few days on pigeons' milk, a curd-like material secreted by special cells lining the crop. This is scooped up by the broad, soft bill of the young inserted deeply into the parent's mouth. Gradually the adult bird supplements this with partially digested food. The young grow rapidly, however, if eggs or young are lost through predation or other causes, the female will usually lay again. Young leave nest at 35-40 days.
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Adaptations:
Like all pigeons, they drink by sucking up water instead of tilting their head back to swallow. It is now known that some other birds use this same method to drink.
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Threats to Survival:
Are becoming rare because the native of New Guinea hunt them for their succulent flesh. Habitat destruction.
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Status:
Protected throughout most of their range. Large numbers are still exported illegally in spite of the fact that they can and have been bred in captivity. They are reputed to be good eating as well.
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Zoo Diet:
waterfowl breeder pellets/grains, fruits and vegetables, psittacine soft diet, bean sprouts, romaine lettuce (chopped), Vit-min premix powder, Rogar supplement powder, Vitamin E supplement powder, oyster shell, insoluble grit
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Animal Fact Sheet
The New Tundra Trek