Tauraco rossae
The Ross's Turaco (Tauraco rossae) is an undeniably striking and large arboreal bird, measuring approximately 50-54 cm (20-21 inches) in length, including its long tail. Its plumage is a spectacle of deep, iridescent purple-blue, offset by a brilliant crimson crest that stands erect when excited. Distinctive field marks include the vivid crimson crest, a bright yellow patch of bare skin surrounding the eye and extending to the bill, and crimson primary flight feathers, which are only visible ...
This species primarily inhabits tropical evergreen forests, dense riparian woodlands, and gallery forests, often at mid-elevations ranging from 500 to 2,200 meters.
The diet of Ross's Turaco is overwhelmingly frugivorous, primarily consisting of various wild fruits, supplemented with small quantities of insects, leaves, and flower buds.
Ross's Turaco is a diurnal and predominantly arboreal bird, spending most of its time high in the forest canopy, moving with agility through the branches. Its foraging strategy involves deliberately gleaning fruits from trees, occasionally supplementing its diet with insects and flowers. These bi...
The Ross's Turaco is a resident species distributed across Central Africa, primarily within the equatorial rainforest belt. Its core range includes Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and extends into extreme northern Zambi...
Least Concern
- The brilliant crimson of its flight feathers comes from a unique copper-containing pigment called turacin, which is soluble in alkaline solutions and can supposedly leach out in heavy rain, though this is rare in live birds. - Its deep green and blue plumage is due to another copper-based pigme...