Goura cristata

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	COLUMBIFORMES	COLUMBIDAE

Scientific Name:

Goura cristata

Species Authority:

(Pallas, 1764)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Blue Crowned-pigeon, Common Crowned Pigeon, Great Goura, Western Crowned-pigeon, Western Crowned Pigeon, Western Crowned-Pigeon
Spanish	–	Paloma Crestada Azul

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable A2cd+3cd+4cd ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S. & Crosby, M.

Contributor/s:

Bishop, K. & Gibbs, D.

Justification:
This spectacular pigeon is classified as Vulnerable because its population is suspected to be rapidly declining, through habitat loss and hunting. However, the total population size, the effect and extent of habitat degradation and the impact of hunting and trade are all poorly known, and further research may lead to its reclassification.

History:

2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Goura cristata occurs in the West Papuan Islands (Misool, Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta), the Vogelkop and western Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), west of Geelvink and Etna Bays, Indonesia¹¹, and also on Seram, South Maluku^12,13, where it was almost certainly introduced⁵. It was historically common¹⁶ and remains locally fairly common at several sites on mainland Papua^8,9,15, Salawati^7,9,15 and Seram^5,13, but may be extinct on Batanta¹⁰, and has been extirpated from many sites on Papua¹¹.
Countries:	Native: Indonesia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Preliminary population estimate requiring further documentation
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits marshy and partly flooded forest, usually undisturbed alluvial forest, but also hill forest, dense secondary growth and mangroves, up to at least 350 m^2,3,5. Pairs incubate a single egg for a month, tend the nestling for a further month and continue to feed the fledgling for several months¹¹.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is heavily hunted for food and its plumes (although less than the two other Goura species because gun ownership is lower in Indonesia than Papua New Guinea)¹ and is also subject to "significant" levels of trade, being a highly prized aviary bird¹¹. Extensive logging concessions have been granted within its range and habitat has already been lost to substantial transmigration schemes⁶. Logging roads and oil and mineral exploration also increase access to hunters⁴.

Major Threat(s):

It is heavily hunted for food and its plumes (although less than the two other Goura species because gun ownership is lower in Indonesia than Papua New Guinea)¹ and is also subject to "significant" levels of trade, being a highly prized aviary bird¹¹. Extensive logging concessions have been granted within its range and habitat has already been lost to substantial transmigration schemes⁶. Logging roads and oil and mineral exploration also increase access to hunters⁴.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix II. The species is afforded some protection in Indonesia from commercial trade and domestic use¹⁴. There are single protected areas on all the West Papuan Islands of occurrenceand three very large proposed nature reserves within its mainland Papuan range, but most are in the mountains¹⁷. Conservation Actions Proposed Conduct extensive surveys to clarify its current distribution and population status. Ascertain tolerance of logged forest. Monitor populations in well-studied protected areas. Investigate hunting, and devise and implement appropriate controls. Investigate international and domestic trade, and devise and implement appropriate controls. Support formal designation of the proposed nature reserves on mainland Papua. Enforce protection in these protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. The species is afforded some protection in Indonesia from commercial trade and domestic use¹⁴. There are single protected areas on all the West Papuan Islands of occurrenceand three very large proposed nature reserves within its mainland Papuan range, but most are in the mountains¹⁷.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct extensive surveys to clarify its current distribution and population status. Ascertain tolerance of logged forest. Monitor populations in well-studied protected areas. Investigate hunting, and devise and implement appropriate controls. Investigate international and domestic trade, and devise and implement appropriate controls. Support formal designation of the proposed nature reserves on mainland Papua. Enforce protection in these protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	Beehler, B. 1985. Conservation of New Guinea rainforest birds. In: Diamond, A.W.; Lovejoy, T.E. (ed.), Conservation of tropical forest birds, pp. 233-247. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, U.K. Beehler, B. M.; Pratt, T. K.; Zimmerman, D. A. 1986. Birds of New Guinea. Princeton University Press, Princeton. Bishop, K. D. 1982. Endemic birds of Biak Island. Coates, B. J.; Bishop, K. D. 1997. A guide to the birds of Wallacea. Dove, Alderley, Australia. Collins, N. M.; Sayer, J. A.; Whitmore, T. C. 1991. The conservation atlas of tropical forests: Asia and the Pacific. Macmillan, London. Eastwood, C. 1996. A trip to Irian Jaya. Muruk 8(1): 12-23. Erftemeijer, P.; Allen, G.; Kosamah, Z.; Kosamah, S. 1991. Birds of the Bintuni Bay region, Irian Jaya. Kukila 5(2): 85-98. Gibbs, D. 1993. Irian Jaya, Indonesia, 21 January--12 March 1991: a site guide for birdwatchers, with brief notes from 1992. King, C. E.; Nijboer, J. 1994. Conservation considerations for crowned pigeons, genus Goura. Oryx 28: 22-30. Kitchener, A. C.; Macdonald, A. A.; Howard, A. 1993. First record of the Blue Crowned Pigeon Goura cristata on Seram. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 113: 42-43. Macdonald, A. A. 1995. Distribution of Blue Crowned Pigeon Goura cristata on north Seram. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 115: 33-35. Nichols, D. G.; Fuller, K. S.; McShane-Caluzi, E.; Klerner-Ecknrode, E. 1991. Wildlife trade laws of Asia and Oceania. TRAFFIC USA/WWF, Washington, DC. Poulsen, B. O.; Frolander, A. 1994. Birding Irian Jaya, Indonesian New Guinea. Rand, A. L.; Gilliard, E. T. 1967. Handbook of New Guinea birds. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London. Sujatnika; Jepson, P.; Soehartono, T. R.; Crosby, M. J.; Mardiastuti, A. 1995. Conserving Indonesian biodiversity: the Endemic Bird Area approach. BirdLife International Indonesia Programme, Bogor.

Beehler, B. 1985. Conservation of New Guinea rainforest birds. In: Diamond, A.W.; Lovejoy, T.E. (ed.), Conservation of tropical forest birds, pp. 233-247. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, U.K.

Beehler, B. M.; Pratt, T. K.; Zimmerman, D. A. 1986. Birds of New Guinea. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Bishop, K. D. 1982. Endemic birds of Biak Island.

Coates, B. J.; Bishop, K. D. 1997. A guide to the birds of Wallacea. Dove, Alderley, Australia.

Collins, N. M.; Sayer, J. A.; Whitmore, T. C. 1991. The conservation atlas of tropical forests: Asia and the Pacific. Macmillan, London.

Eastwood, C. 1996. A trip to Irian Jaya. Muruk 8(1): 12-23.

Erftemeijer, P.; Allen, G.; Kosamah, Z.; Kosamah, S. 1991. Birds of the Bintuni Bay region, Irian Jaya. Kukila 5(2): 85-98.

Gibbs, D. 1993. Irian Jaya, Indonesia, 21 January--12 March 1991: a site guide for birdwatchers, with brief notes from 1992.

King, C. E.; Nijboer, J. 1994. Conservation considerations for crowned pigeons, genus Goura. Oryx 28: 22-30.

Kitchener, A. C.; Macdonald, A. A.; Howard, A. 1993. First record of the Blue Crowned Pigeon Goura cristata on Seram. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 113: 42-43.

Macdonald, A. A. 1995. Distribution of Blue Crowned Pigeon Goura cristata on north Seram. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 115: 33-35.

Nichols, D. G.; Fuller, K. S.; McShane-Caluzi, E.; Klerner-Ecknrode, E. 1991. Wildlife trade laws of Asia and Oceania. TRAFFIC USA/WWF, Washington, DC.

Poulsen, B. O.; Frolander, A. 1994. Birding Irian Jaya, Indonesian New Guinea.

Rand, A. L.; Gilliard, E. T. 1967. Handbook of New Guinea birds. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London.

Sujatnika; Jepson, P.; Soehartono, T. R.; Crosby, M. J.; Mardiastuti, A. 1995. Conserving Indonesian biodiversity: the Endemic Bird Area approach. BirdLife International Indonesia Programme, Bogor.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Goura cristata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2012.
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