Meet the Zoo: Victoria Crowned Pigeons

Brooklyn is noted for the rooftop pigeon coops and the sight of white winged birds flying in formation against a clear blue sky. But there is a new pigeon in town and its plumage will knock the socks off local rock doves.

The Prospect Park Zoo has a new exhibit featuring the birds of the Malay Archipelago and Australia. The exhibit features the Victoria Crowned Pigeons of New Guinea–large powder blue, ground-dwelling birds with a spectacular lacy crest. In this species, the largest pigeons in the world, both the male and female look identical.

Unfortunately, they are vulnerable in the wild due to hunting for their feathers and meat and are affected by a reduced habitat.  

Joining the pair are two Australian king parrots; brilliant red and green birds indigenous to a sliver of range along the eastern coast of the continent. 

Typically, these birds feature sexual dimorphism, which means males and females differ in coloration. The male has a bright red head and breast and the female has a soft olive green head and breast. 

Rounding out the new birds are some old favorites for visitors.

The tiny crested wood partridges, native to south Burma, Thailand, Sumatra, Malaysia and Borneo, are no less spectacular. Their metallic green feathers and bright red rings around their eyes, make them a standout. The male is distinguished by a tall red crest of feathers. 

Another feature of the exhibit is when the tiny mouse deer wanders out from behind the plantings to graze peacefully among the birds. This little animal, which is also referred to as a chevrotain, is native to Sumatra and Borneo and some of the smaller Malayan islands.

Visitors seem to enjoy watching the beauty of the large, colorful birds and also appreciate their tiny neighbors. At the Prospect Park Zoo, we believe it's all in the art of creating a small environment that gives visitors a glimpse of the exotic world from across the world, and the inspiration to save it.