Size: Length; 50cm. Weight; 360g.

Age: Up to 30 years in captivity.

Habitat and distribution: Woodland habitats throughout West Africa.

Groups and breeding:  These birds live in flocks of around 12 birds. Two eggs are laid, in a tree platform nest, which hatch after 21 to 24 days. Both parents take turns to incubate the eggs and once hatched to feed the young. Young leave the nest before they can fly at around three weeks, assisted by claws found on the end of their wings.

Diet: Mainly fruit (especially figs) with some seeds.

• This bird is also known as the Violet Plantain-eater, however research has shown that turacos rarely eat banana! Other related turacos are known as ‘go away’ birds due to their distinctive call.
• All turacos have the ability to turn their outer toe of both feet either forwards or backwards. This helps when changing from perching to running along branches.
• Turacos have rounded wings and long tails to allow them to fly more easily through heavily wooded areas. Unfortunately, this does mean that they are not especially good fliers and therefore they tend to rely more on running along branches rather than flying.
• The red and green pigment in turaco feathers is due to copper.  Turacin gives the red colouration and turacoverdin the green. This use of copper for a pigment is unique in the animal kingdom.
• Turacos play an important part in seed dispersal in forests, because they eat large amounts of fruit and often don’t digest it completely.