Giant pigeon lands at Newquay Zoo

Bertie, a male Victoria crowned pigeon, is named after Prince Albert

Newquay Zoo has become the new home for one of the world's largest living species of pigeon.

Bertie is a male Victoria crowned pigeon, a species from Papua New Guinea threatened in the wild by hunting and deforestation.

Weighing in at more than 2kg (4.4lbs), Victoria crowned pigeons are blue and red with a majestic crown of plumage.

The only member of the pigeon family larger than Bertie's species is the now-extinct dodo.

Dan Trevelyan, senior animal keeper at Newquay Zoo, said: "The Victoria crowned pigeon was named after Queen Victoria so we thought that it was only right to name the new founding male of our collection Albert, or Bertie for short!

"We're sure the species will be a crowning addition to our award-winning Gems of the Jungle walk-through exhibit."

Newquay Zoo hopes to receive a female Victoria crowned pigeon in the New Year as the keepers aim to form an important breeding pair to boost the captive population.