Victoria Crowned Pigeons

Meaghan Edwards

Well-Known Member
Has anyone else noticed how close you can get to them on your zoo/aviary visits? Maybe it's just the ones at Toronto and Niagara Aviary are exceptionally calm :D
 
At Cotswold they were on the path. The male was very defensive, standing in the middle and flapping his wings at us, and I admit being quite scared trying to weave my way past. :p
 
There have been some at Taronga that are so friendly you're in danger of tripping over them when working in the aviary.

:p

Hix
 
There have been some at Taronga that are so friendly you're in danger of tripping over them when working in the aviary.

:p

Hix


Hix - no doubt you remember the days when Taronga had a dozen or more in an aviary at the end of the Orang-utan cages if I remember correctly.

Now I think there is only one survivor of those glorious days.
 
Yes, Steve, I'd almost forgotten about them! There was quite a colony, in a large steep aviary between the apes and the puma cages. The aviary was later used for condors.

Nowadays there are only 2 V.C.pigeons at Taronga, the last two in Australia, I believe (although I am open to correction on that if anyone knows any different.) The two remaining are both ancient males and, not being compatible, are housed separately in planted aviaries with other pigeon species.

It is ironic that Australia is closest to the source country yet is not allowed to import any more V. C. pigeons.:(
 
It is ironic that Australia is closest to the source country yet is not allowed to import any more V. C. pigeons.:(

Why aren't Australia allowed to import victoria crowned pigeons? (do you mean just from the wild or from zoos across the world?) I know Australia's importing laws are famously tough but I would never of suspected V.C. pigeons being shunned :confused:
 
Yes, Steve, I'd almost forgotten about them! There was quite a colony, in a large steep aviary between the apes and the puma cages. The aviary was later used for condors.

Nowadays there are only 2 V.C.pigeons at Taronga, the last two in Australia, I believe (although I am open to correction on that if anyone knows any different.) The two remaining are both ancient males and, not being compatible, are housed separately in planted aviaries with other pigeon species.

It is ironic that Australia is closest to the source country yet is not allowed to import any more V. C. pigeons.:(

Their aviary, as I recall, was a planted aviary [of sorts] but it had a cement floor.

I have a feeling that Taronga is now down to one. [Hix?] And yes, it/they, is the last in the land of the free.

"Ironic" is not the word that I would have used. You are far too polite sometimes - our elder statesman of the board!!!
 
Nowadays there are only 2 V.C.pigeons at Taronga, the last two in Australia, I believe (although I am open to correction on that if anyone knows any different.) The two remaining are both ancient males and, not being compatible, are housed separately in planted aviaries with other pigeon species.

It is ironic that Australia is closest to the source country yet is not allowed to import any more V. C. pigeons.:([/QUOTE]

And to think that Fleays (in the 70s) on the Gold coast use to have so many of them almost at every turn :cool:
 
It's not just Victoria Crowned Pigeons that are not allowed entry into Australia, foz, it's just about any birds from anywhere, since 1949, with the exception of a small "window of opportunity" which lasted for about 12 months around 10 years ago in which some domestic racing pigeons and a (very) few parrots were allowed to be imported, at great expense to their owners.Then the window slammed shut again.

It's supposed to keep out disease. Apparently the millions of birds which migrate between Asia and Australia each year don't have diseases, as far as the authorities are concerned!
 
Steve - I thought there was only one too, but there might be a second I don't know about. Haven't spoken to the bird keepers in a while (and when I did it wasn't about Gouras).

Ara said:
Apparently the millions of birds which migrate between Asia and Australia each year don't have diseases, as far as the authorities are concerned!

The general consensus is that, as the migration is particularly stressful, any sick birds won't survive the journey.

:p

Hix
 
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