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<strong>EEP</strong> STUDBOOK CROWNED PIGEONS<br />
The oldest common crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> died in 1982 in Cleveland at the age of 31: a crowned<br />
<strong>pigeon</strong> which was wild-caught in 1965, was still alive Washington by the end of 1995 and at<br />
that time it was 30 years old. In 1966 a common crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> was born in Berlin Zoo and<br />
this bird also seems to be still alive, but this institution is not responding to communications<br />
of the <strong>EEP</strong>-coordinator. In Philadelphia there is an at least 32 year old victoria crowned<br />
<strong>pigeon</strong> (wild-caught in 1963) and in Berlin Zoo also a scheepmaker’s crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> which<br />
is wild-caught in 1968 and (if still alive) at least 27 years old (Wetzel, 1992; Wetzel, 1996;<br />
Wetzel, 1998). There is no doubt that they can reach a maximum age of over 30 years, in<br />
captivity mabye even 35. In the wild there are no natural predators, and because they are<br />
frugivorous (and do not need speed to hunt for food), this maximum age might be reached in<br />
the wild too.<br />
The long reproductive life span (over 20 years) is advantageous to increase the <strong>number</strong> of<br />
crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s in captivity, because every crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> can theoretically produce and<br />
raise a maximum of at least 40 chicks.<br />
References<br />
(1) Assink, H. 1988. The crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> Studbook, Number 1. Royal Rotterdam Zoological<br />
and Botanical Gardens, Rotterdam. 137 p.<br />
(2) AZA. 1996. AZA Annual Report on Conservation and Science. American Zoo and<br />
Aquarium Association, Bethesda, MD.<br />
(3) Fleay, D. 1963. A family event with New Guinea crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s. In: The Victorian<br />
Naturalist 79 (9), January 1963; 256 - 263.<br />
(4) Klös, H.G. 1966. A note on breeding second generation crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s (Goura cristata)<br />
at West Berlin Zoo. In: Olney, P. and S. Ellis. International Zoo Yearbook (6), 215.<br />
(5) Nijboer, J. and C.E. King. 1996. <strong>EEP</strong> Studbook of crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s Volume 3. Rotterdam<br />
Zoo, The Netherlands.<br />
(6) Wetzel, D. 1992. <strong>Crowned</strong> <strong>pigeon</strong> Studbook 1990 - 1991. Roger Williams Park Zoo,<br />
Rhode Island, USA. 78 p.<br />
(7) Wetzel, D. 1996. International crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> Studbook. Roger Williams Park Zoo,<br />
Rhode Island, USA. 74 p.<br />
(8) Wetzel, D. 1998. International crowned <strong>pigeon</strong> Studbook. Roger Williams Park Zoo,<br />
Rhode Island, USA.<br />
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