A new arrival at Bioparc Fuengirola: a baby western crowned pigeon, the largest type in the world

With its thick blue-grey plumage and large, elegant crest, the western crowned pigeon is the largest of the species and many consider it the most beautiful. These birds can be up to 70 centimetres in length and weigh more than 2.5 kilos.

There are several at Bioparc Fuengirola and now they have been joined by a new addition. A chick has hatched in a nest after an incubation period of 28-30 days, and that is where it will stay with its parents for about a month.

Antonio Garrucho, the head of Zoology and bird coordinator at the Bioparc, said the parents both look after the chicks, which are totally dependent on them during their first weeks of life. “The babies need their parents even after they are able to leave the nest, although little by little they will start to find food for themselves,” he said.

Among the more than 370 known species of pigeons, the western crowned is known because it rarely flies and is normally seen on the ground. These birds only go up into trees to nest or to escape predators. This lack of flying skill is also associated with the fact that they are much bigger than other types of pigeon.

The western crowned pigeon is native to the western side of the island of Papua New Guinea. The fragility of the ecosystem in which it lives poses a threat to the species, and the different barriers on the island have meant that it has evolved in isolation.

“The exclusivity of New Guinea is incredible. It means that species like the crowned pigeon are unique to the area. It is a species which coexists with others of the crowned variety, which are also native to the island,” Antonio Garrucho explained.

The family at the Bioparc Fuengirola now lives with nine different species of birds and two mammals in the aviary at the zoo centre.