Birds · Musophagiformes · Musophagidae

Ruwenzori Turaco

Gallirex johnstoni

Least Concern

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

The Rwenzori turaco is an iridescent green bird with a violet head and neck and red wing patches, endemic to the montane forests of the Albertine Rift, on the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the highest-living turaco and one of the few that occupies bamboo forest. It feeds on fruit, shoots and flowers in the canopy.

Weight

200 g – 300 g

Size

45 cm – 48 cm

Lifespan

18 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestMountainHerbivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Rainforest Mountain

4countries 7parks7same family

Fun facts

It is the highest-living turaco in the world: it is found above 3,500 metres, among the bamboo and giant heather of the Albertine Rift mountains.
It shares those forests with the mountain gorillas, and its hoarse, repeated call is one of the familiar sounds of gorilla-tracking expeditions in Uganda and Rwanda.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Montane forest and bamboo forest of the Albertine Rift, between 1,600 and 3,800 metres
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 22 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

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