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Guinea Turaco - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Green Turaco; Green-crested Turaco; Green Lourie; Turacus persa

Photo by michha62
Gambia, 2007
Tauraco persa

Identification

40–43 cm (15¾-17 in) Typical "green", round-crested Turaco.
Forehead and crown green with a yellow component, small red tips to the crown/crest. Nape and upper back lack yellow component. Lower back, rump and upper tail coverts very dark green. lores yellowish green with vertical white line in front of the eye and a very thin black line along the lower edge. Thin black eye-stripe behind the eye, a thin white stripe running from under the eye to the upper rear corner of the ear-coverts; ear coverts and sides to the neck bright green. Chin, throat, upper breast and fore flanks bright green. Rest of underparts dark green.
Wing coverts bronzy-purple, primaries and secondaries bright rufous with black tips.
Tail blackish-green with a purplish gloss.
Bill red with a small black tip, eyering bright red, eye dark, legs and feet black.

Sexes similar. Immatures are similar but have more extensive black tipping to primaries.

Variations

Western taxon buffoni has a broader black eyestripe and reduced, or absent white stripe underneath the eye.

Distribution

Graphic by Nrg800
West Africa: From Gambia and Senegal in the west to Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola.

Fairly common and widespread over much of its range.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Tauraco persa has three subspecies[1]:

Habitat

Found in lowland and gallery forest. Often along edges of cultivation and along rivers.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1100m, occasionally higher.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds mainly on fruits, takes also flowers and buds.

Breeding

Breeding season differs through range. The nest is a platform made of sticks and twigs. It's placed in the thickest part of an isolated bush or tree, 1.5 to 5.3 m above the ground. Lays generally 2 eggs.

Vocalisation

Barking "kow kow kow kow", sounds like a yapping dog at any distance. Regular in spacing. ====Movements A sedentary species. Some birds occasionally wander to riverine and gallery forests in search of food.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334221
  3. Lepage D. 2008. Avibase. Search for "Guinea Turaco" downloaded 19 April 2008.
  4. Sinclair I, Ryan P. 2003. Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0 620 20729 9

Recommended Citation

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