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<strong>EEP</strong> STUDBOOK CROWNED PIGEONS<br />
Interview with Amini Mane (young hunter) from Okovai, September 1997<br />
<strong>Crowned</strong> <strong>pigeon</strong>s live in groups from 4 - 5 animals, but also sometimes alone. They walk very<br />
closely to each other and are making sounds. <strong>Crowned</strong> <strong>pigeon</strong>s sleep in trees and are mostly<br />
seen in the forests. They only lay 1 egg each time, but Amini doesn't know anything about the<br />
brooding behaviour. Amini thinks the female is taking care of the brooding and takes care of<br />
the chick. According to Amini "Gurias" don't have other enemies than humans.<br />
Conclusion from talks with Isaac and Kontias Kongo<br />
The breeding season of the crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> various from place to place in the country. In the<br />
Lakekamu Basin the breeding season is probably in May / June. The raining season is from<br />
December to March, so breeding season is after raining season. Seeing that every valley in<br />
Papua New Guinea has its own raining season, perhaps the plants and trees will also bloom at<br />
a different time of the year.<br />
I talked with a boy from the Western Province and he told me that the crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s in his<br />
province breed around Christmas (western province is in the SW of Papua New Guinea).<br />
Notes on discovering crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> nests made by Marc Damen:<br />
<strong>Crowned</strong> <strong>pigeon</strong> nest 2, July 1997<br />
<strong>Crowned</strong> <strong>pigeon</strong> nest 2 was shown by Kontias Kongo from Nukeva. He found the nest in<br />
May, with an egg in it, but now it is empty. At the time we came to see the nest, a crowned<br />
<strong>pigeon</strong> flew away, so maybe they will start over. Yesterday 2 crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s did display, so<br />
this is possible).<br />
The height of the nest is 5,20 m above the dry fallen bed and it's resting on a liana. The nest<br />
can be reached from 2 sides and is oblong of shape. The liana goes under the nest and makes a<br />
loop and is then coming back under the nest and goes up. Under the nest the branches are<br />
twisted. The nest dimensions are 30 cm x 40 cm. And is 6 cm high. It doesn't have a real cup,<br />
but is runs down very faint. In the middle the nest is 4 - 5 cm thick. The nest lies above a dry<br />
fallen bed and because of this there are very little bushes in the immediate surroundings.<br />
Going from the nest and to the nest is relatively easy. <strong>Crowned</strong> <strong>pigeon</strong>s are using the nests<br />
more than once (according to the eldest villager). According to me this nest is not very old,<br />
because of the small size. In a meeting with the eldest villager it appears that the "Abuta" is<br />
the worst enemy for the crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>. The "Abuta" is a big eagle, who also eats flying<br />
foxes and young pigs.<br />
This has to be the New Guinea harpy eagle. This bird eats also eggs, young birds and catches<br />
birds which are breeding, from the nest. Finally Kondias Kongo tells us that here the crowned<br />
<strong>pigeon</strong>s have red paws. In Volume 1 of the <strong>EEP</strong> studbook it is said that crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s have<br />
white paws.<br />
<strong>Crowned</strong> <strong>pigeon</strong> nest 4, August 1997<br />
Morgan Kore showed this nest. The nest was found near Nukeva, along the road from Nukeva<br />
to Okovai. However the nest is disappeared and now there are only a handful of branches.<br />
There also is a thick branch, which has probably crushed the nest. Morgan found the nest in<br />
June with an egg or a chick in it, but he couldn't see it, so he didn't took it with him.<br />
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