Jungle Birds – White-crested Turaco

Bird name:

white crested turaco

Latin name:

Tauraco leucolophus

State:

least worry

Scientific classification:

Animal Kingdom

Edge: Chordata

Class: Birds

Order: Cuculiformes

Family: Musophagidae

Gender: tauraco

Species: T.leucolophus

General information:

The White-crested Turaco is an African bird. It has a unique quality of having a true pigment coloration. The brilliant colors of most birds are due to the refraction of light by their feather structures. When mixed with water, Turacos feathers actually dye the water. This pigmentation also allows them to maintain their color throughout the year.

Physical description:

White-crested Turacos are between 15 and 18 inches long. They are colorful, long-tailed birds that are green and blue in color with crimson primary feathers that display well in flight. They have a white crest, chin, neck and nape. The sexes are similar.

Diet:

This species feeds on fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers and occasionally on invertebrates.

Habitat:

White-crested Turacos have a large African range and are considered common. They are residents from southeastern Nigeria to northern Uganda, southwestern Sudan, and western Kenya. Its habitat is in evergreen forests and wooded valleys, as well as dry scrub areas. They nest in trees, where they can build a platform of branches.

Reproduction:

The Turaco is monogamous. The clutch is 2 to 3 white eggs. Incubation lasts 21–24 days, and the young fledge after only 10–12 days. Both parents contribute to incubation, rearing and feeding.

Chicks feed mainly on fruit. The young leave the nest before they can fly and climb the tree. Turacos have strong wing claws to allow for this habit.