Knysna Turaco

Overview

The Knysna turaco, or Knysna loerie, is a large African turaco and resident breeder in mature evergreen forests. It is currently listed as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 40–42 cm long, including a long tail, with mainly green plumage and a tall green crest tipped with white.
• A small but thick orange-red bill and a white line just under the brown eye with a deep red eye-ring.
• Conspicuous crimson primary flight feathers visible in flight; juveniles have shorter crests without white tips.
• A loud kow-kow-kow-kow call.

Habitat

Found in the mature evergreen forests of southern and eastern South Africa, and Eswatini, where it is an unmistakable yet often inconspicuous treetop dweller.

Diet

Feeds on fruit, insects and earthworms, usually seen flying between forest trees or hopping along branches to forage.

Did you know?

Knysna turacos are among the only birds to possess true red and green colours, owing to copper-based pigments turacin and turacoverdin, which can even turn a glass of water pink. They are thought to use their red wing feathers as a decoy to escape predators by drawing attention away from the body as they fold their wings to land.