by Nobody would deny that humans are naturally drawn to attractive things. And how could it be otherwise when we live on this beautiful world where every corner is brimming with nature’s magnificent creations, whether it’s a scorching hot African desert or a lush jungle soaked in rainwater? It’s all incredibly different but undeniably unique in the most bizarre ways.
It’s no surprise that some consider nature to be the world’s greatest artist, and we wholeheartedly agree. We have a lot of lovely natural artefacts on Bored Panda, but today’s story shows how fantastic it can be.This unusual bird is a Victoria Crowned Pigeon. And we realise the sight isn’t what you’d expect after reading ‘a pigeon bird.’ It stands out with its vivid blue feathers and a lovely crown on top of its head.
It is a member of the Goura family, which includes four distinct-looking ground-dwelling pigeons. They are also quite large birds, with the potential to grow to the size of a turkey,These lovely birds are endemic to New Guinea and were named after a renowned historical person – the British Queen Victoria, who ruled the United Kingdom in the closing decades of the nineteenth century.
The unusual birds are difficult to notice moving freely because they are the least common of the three crowned pigeon species but are the most extensively raised in captivity. Deforestation is a major threat to their habitat, so the species is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.The fact that female beauty only lay one egg per mating season does not bode well for their survival.
Furthermore, their mating dance is as complex as one would anticipate from such a beautiful, colourful bird. The male Victoria Crowned Pigeon Male bends his head as he approaches the female during courtship to show off his best feature – the beautiful crest. And what would a ceremony be without a particular mating song and a good choreography of rhythmically swinging while fiercely wagging its tail like the magnificent creature that he is? Nature is a true magician.
Image credits: cuatrok77
