One of the 8 turacos on WAnimals
Birds · Musophagiformes · Musophagidae
Violet Turaco
Musophaga violacea
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The violet turaco is a bird of an almost metallic dark violet, with a yellow forehead, a crimson crown and large red patches on the wings that show only in flight. It lives in gallery forest and wooded savannah of West Africa, where it feeds mainly on figs. Its red feathers are traditionally used in the ceremonial dress of several cultures of the region, and its resonant call is one of the characteristic sounds of the forest galleries of the Sahel.
Weight
300 g – 420 g
Size
45 cm – 50 cm
Lifespan
20 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
Fun facts
- Its red feathers have been used for centuries in West African ceremonial headdresses, and in some regions they were a mark of rank reserved for chiefs and dignitaries.
- It moves through the canopy more by running and leaping between branches than by flying: it has a fourth toe that can rotate forwards or backwards, which gives it an exceptional grip on branches.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Gallery forest, wooded savannah and dry forest of the Sudanian belt of West Africa
- Birth weight
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Size at birth
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Sexual maturity
- 2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 25 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 2 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musophaga_violacea
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round in the gallery forests of West Africa, by day; it gathers in fig trees laden with fruit.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 11 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Violet Turaco — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Great Blue Turaco
Corythaeola cristata
Guinea Turaco
Tauraco persa
Hartlaub's Turaco
Tauraco hartlaubi
Knysna Turaco
Tauraco corythaix
Grey Go-away-bird
Corythaixoides concolor
Ross's Turaco
Tauraco rossae
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about violet turaco.
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