Species group · Birds
Turacos
WAnimals has 8 species of turaco, in the family Musophagidae.
- 8 species
- 1 family
- 43 countries
- 98 parks
- Weight
- 200 g – 1.2 kg
- Length
- 40 cm – 75 cm
- Lifespan
- 18 – 25 years
Ranges calculated from the profiles that record the figure, not from all 8.
All 8 species of turacos on WAnimals
Each one has its own full profile. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.
Least ConcernGrey Go-away-bird
Corythaixoides concolor
43 countries24 parks
Least ConcernKnysna Turaco
Tauraco corythaix
10 countries11 parks
Least ConcernRoss's Turaco
Tauraco rossae
10 countries30 parks
Least ConcernGreat Blue Turaco
Corythaeola cristata
22 countries26 parks
Least ConcernHartlaub's Turaco
Tauraco hartlaubi
3 countries11 parks
Least ConcernRuwenzori Turaco
Gallirex johnstoni
4 countries7 parks
Least Concern
Guinea Turaco
Tauraco persa
14 countries14 parks
Least Concern
Violet Turaco
Musophaga violacea
43 countries11 parks
Conservation status
8 Least Concern
No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.
Where they live
Recorded in 43 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:
Where to see them
Did you know…?
Its alarm call sounds like "go away", which is where its English name comes from, and it warns the rest of the savannah that a predator is about.
From Grey Go-away-bird
Its call, a descending nasal mew, is written in English as "go away", and hunters detest it because it alerts antelopes and other animals to the presence of an intruder.
From Grey Go-away-bird
It belongs to the only group of turacos that has left the forest for the open savannah, and as a result has lost the green and red pigments of its family: it is entirely grey.
From Grey Go-away-bird
Its green is turacoverdin, a copper-bearing pigment found only in its family: the only genuine green pigment in the bird world.
From Knysna Turaco
Its red wing pigment, turacin, also contains copper and is water-soluble: zoos have documented turaco bathing water turning pink.
From Knysna Turaco
It moves through the canopy by running along the branches rather than flying, and its flight is short, heavy and direct, with a burst of red as it opens its wings.
From Knysna Turaco
Turacos are the only birds in the world with true green and red pigments: turacoverdin and turacin, both copper-based. In every other bird green is an optical effect of the structure of the feather, not a real pigment.
From Ross's Turaco
Its red feathers run: turacin is soluble in alkaline water, and a wet feather can turn the water pink.
From Ross's Turaco