Sclater's Crowned-Pigeon Goura sclaterii Scientific name definitions

66–73 cm; 2000–2235 g. Huge, terrestrial pigeon with fan-like, unpatterned pale grey crest and rich maroon underparts from throat to lower breast. Forehead, crown and nape blue-grey, lores and around eye black, becoming deep blue-grey posterior to eye, hindneck dark blue-grey, merging into dark slate mantle and scapulars (with paler subapical bands); lesser coverts deep blue-grey with broad maroon fringes forming a large block on the lesser and median coverts  , contrasting strongly with creamy-white greater coverts  that have maroon spots on their tips; tertials, secondaries and primaries mainly dark blue-grey, paler on first-named tract, but almost blackish on last-named, with similarly very dark rump and uppertail-coverts, and tail dark blue-grey with paler apical band; chin, upper throat and ear-coverts blue grey, with rich purplish-maroon foreneck and breast , becoming darker distally, merging into blue-grey or black belly, vent and thighs; undertail blackish with paler band, underwings dull brownish grey, sometimes black on coverts; iris  blood red, orbital skin blackish grey, bill blackish or slate with horn-coloured tip and greyish cere, and legs and feet purplish red. Sexes alike. Juvenile has less clearly defined black around eyes, duller and greyer wing-coverts with narrower and poorly defined maroon fringes, no maroon spots on greater coverts, less clearly defined band on tail, more maroon (less purple) colour on breast, appearing mottled with brownish-grey feather bases, and paler legs and feet. Differs most obviously from formerly conspecific G. scheepmakeri in having a white wing-patch bordered above by maroon lesser and median coverts, and maroon throat and breast becoming grey-blue on lower breast and belly (see also Taxonomy comments). For differences from G. cristata, see G. scheepmakeri.

Present species and G. scheepmakeri probably more closely related to G. cristata than to G. victoria. Formerly considered conspecific with G. scheepmakeri, but here split on account of its redistributed maroon-brown, covering upper neck vs lower neck but not lower belly (2); carpal area maroon-brown, extending onto the outer greater coverts (thus enclosing the white wing-panel in maroon-brown, whereas the outer greater coverts are grey in scheepmakeri) (3); dorsal plumage scaled pale grey (ns[1]); mid-belly to vent grey vs maroon-brown (2); white wing-panel slightly tinged yellow (ns[1]); slightly shorter wing (sample size too small; ns). Name wadai is a junior synonym of sclaterii. Monotypic.

S New Guinea from Mimika R E to Fly R and Strickland R (perhaps even Hegigo R); however, identity of Goura populations between Fly R and Purari R unknown, either this species or G. scheepmakeri, although there is an old specimen of the latter species labelled as being from the Fly R.

Inhabits undisturbed dry and flooded forest, often alluvial , in lowlands to 500 m, where it feeds on the ground.

Few specific data. Presumably mainly consumes seeds and fallen fruit, as does G. scheepmakeri; also feeds along muddy riverbanks, and has been observed feeding on small crabs. Highly terrestrial ; forages on ground in small flocks of 2–10 birds (historically up to 30) and roosts in trees.

A deep, hollow drumming at a heartbeat rhythm “boom-boom, boom-boom...”, reminiscent of a cassowary (1 Pratt, T. K., and B. M. Beehler (2015) Birds of New Guinea. Second edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ).

Nest is a solid, compact mass of sticks , stems, palm fronds, tendrils or coarse dead herbaceous leaves; placed 3·5–15 m above the ground; nestling has dark grey skin. Captive birds start breeding from 15 months old, lay a single egg, incubated 28–30 days, and tend young for some months after hatching, with fledging recorded at 28–36 days. No further information available.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. CITES II. Population unknown, but estimated at 10,000–15,000 mature individuals within large overall range of c. 192,000 km².  Rare or extirpated around most villages, but still locally common in remote regions of Western Province (Papua New Guinea) and around Bian R in SE Irian Jaya. Loss and degradation of lowland forest through large-scale selective logging and development of oil-palm plantations suspected to be driving a population decline, while logging roads further enables hunting, as does oil and gas exploration, although hunting (both for meat and feathers) is perhaps less than was previously suspected. Protected from commercial trade and domestic use under Papua New Guinea and West Papua law; Indonesian CITES authorities set an export quota of 200 individuals of this species from Merauke in 1992, with most exports of this species going to E Europe and SE Asia (like other Goura spp.). Conservation efforts initiated by Papua New Guinea Department of Environment and Conservation, and designed to involve and educate local people in forest management, should benefit the species (2 King, C.E. and Nijboer, J. (1994). Conservation considerations for crowned pigeons, Genus Goura. Oryx. 28(1): 22-30. Close ). It has been estimated, via remote-sensing analyses, that Papua New Guinea experienced net forest loss of c. 15% in 1972–2002, primarily due to logging, with a further 8·8% degraded over same period; in many locations, however, the species apparently tolerates logging. Management strategy for captive birds could be usefully developed, but in 1990 just 26 individuals of this species and G. scheepmakeri combined had been registered in studbooks in North America and Europe (as opposed to 140 G. cristata and 143 G. victoria).