Purple Crested Turaco
This bird is simply breathtaking in its beauty. Beyond its namesake crest, the Purple Crested Turaco is also just about every other color of the rainbow. Found in the forests and woodlands of Southeastern Africa, they are about the size of a parrot and their diet consists almost entirely of fruit, with the occasional bud or small insect for variety.
The Purple Crested Turaco is a poor flier but it is very nimble in navigating the treetops in which it lives. They lay between 2-4 eggs at a time which hatch in about three weeks. They are a hardy and resilient bird, and although threatened by deforestation, they are quite adaptable to more developed areas. They are highly sought after as a caged “pet”, and unfortunately, they are also often killed for their amazing red flight feathers which are highly prized for use in traditional ceremonies. In fact, the vivid red pigment- called turacin- that gives the feathers its color is found only in the Turaco. No other animal possesses its compound, which makes it all the more rare - and therefore, desirable.
The Purple Crested Turaco is a poor flier but it is very nimble in navigating the treetops in which it lives. They lay between 2-4 eggs at a time which hatch in about three weeks. They are a hardy and resilient bird, and although threatened by deforestation, they are quite adaptable to more developed areas. They are highly sought after as a caged “pet”, and unfortunately, they are also often killed for their amazing red flight feathers which are highly prized for use in traditional ceremonies. In fact, the vivid red pigment- called turacin- that gives the feathers its color is found only in the Turaco. No other animal possesses its compound, which makes it all the more rare - and therefore, desirable.