Guinea turaco

Guinea turaco
File:Tauraco persa -captive-8a.jpg
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Musophagiformes
Family:	Musophagidae
Genus:	Tauraco
Species:	T. persa
Binomial name
Tauraco persa (Linnaeus, 1758)
File:Guinea Turaco.png
Distribution of the Guinea turaco

The Guinea turaco (Tauraco persa), also known as the green turaco, is a species of turaco, a group of near-passerines birds. It is found in forests of West and Central Africa, ranging from Senegal east to DR Congo and south to northern Angola. It lays two eggs in a tree platform nest. It formerly included the Livingstone's, Schalow's, Knysna, black-billed and Fischer's turacos as subspecies.

File:Tauraco persa.jpg

T. persa buffoni is the only subspecies of the Guinea turaco without a white line below the eye

The Guinea turaco, often inconspicuous in the treetops, is approximately 43 cm long, including a long tail. The plumage is largely green and the tail and wings are dark purplish, except for the crimson primary feathers that are very distinct in flight. In the westernmost subspecies buffoni, which sometimes is known as the Buffon's turaco, there is a white line above and in front of the eye and a black line below the eye. In the nominate subspecies (T. persa persa) of the central part of its range and zenkeri of the southeastern part there also is a second white line below the black line. Unlike similar turacos with red bills, even adult Guinea turacos lack a white rear edge to the crest.

This species is a common in climax forest with plentiful tall trees. It feeds on fruit and blossoms.

The Guinea turaco has a loud cawr-cawr call.

References

• Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1