Tauraco violaceus
The Violet Turaco (Tauraco violaceus) is a strikingly beautiful and unmistakable arboreal bird endemic to the rainforests of West and Central Africa. Measuring approximately 45-50 cm (18-20 inches) in length, including its long tail, and weighing between 200-300 grams, it is characterized by its glossy, deep violet plumage that shimmers with iridescence. A prominent, upright scarlet-red crest crowns its head, providing a distinctive field mark against its vibrant body. The bill is bright yell...
Primarily inhabits dense primary and secondary rainforests, gallery forests, and woodland edges from lowland to mid-altitude elevations (up to 1,500 meters). It requires areas with abundant fruit-bearing trees and a dense canopy for cover and foraging.
Primarily frugivorous, feasting on a wide variety of ripe fruits, especially figs. They supplement their diet with flowers, leaves, buds, and occasionally small insects like termites.
The Violet Turaco is a highly arboreal and diurnal species, spending most of its time within the forest canopy, rarely descending to the ground. It moves adeptly through the branches with strong legs and feet, often running and hopping rather than flying long distances. Foraging typically involve...
The Violet Turaco is a resident species found across a broad swathe of West and Central Africa, from Senegal and Gambia eastward through Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Its range extends further into Central Africa, encompassing parts ...
Least Concern
- The Violet Turaco is one of the few bird species known to possess true red and green pigments (turacin and turacoverdin) in its feathers, which are copper-based compounds, unlike most bird colors that result from structural light scattering. - Its vibrant red crest feathers contain turacin, a p...