Birds · Musophagiformes · Musophagidae

Ross's Turaco

Tauraco rossae

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Ross's turaco is a spectacular bird of deep bluish violet with a yellow face and a crimson crest. It lives in noisy groups in the gallery forests of Central Africa, feeding on fruit, which it swallows whole. Turacos have two pigments that exist in no other bird family in the world, responsible for their greens and their reds, and which in this species produce a contrast that cannot be mistaken for anything else.

Weight

300 g – 450 g

Size

50 cm – 54 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaRainforestHerbivore Diurnal Bird Savanna Rainforest

10countries 30parks7same family

Fun facts

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.
Its red feathers run: turacin is soluble in alkaline water, and a wet feather can turn the water pink.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Gallery forest, riverine forest and miombo woodland of Central and East Africa
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 25 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/