- Tauraco fischeri
Identification
40cm
Bright, emerald green Turaco with a short, pointed crest with broad reddish chestnut tips running down the rear edge and onto the nape. Back and rump emerald green. Broadish black lores with a vertical white line in front of the eye, broad white stripe running from under the eye to the rear of the earcoverts. Underparts bright emerald green except for dark green undertail coverts. Wing coverts blue glossed, as is tail, rest of wing as Guinea Turaco. Bill and eyering bright red, eye dark, legs black.
Zanzibar birds are distictly bluer above.
Distribution
| Coast of Somalia south to Kenya and northeastern Tanzania. World population probably no more than 2000 birds. Endangered in southern Somalia. Common in Shimba Hills National Park and eastern Usambara lowland forest. Subspecies zanzibaricus probably less than 50 pairs. |
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- T. f. fischeri: Coastal forests of southern Somalia ( Juba River ), coastal Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania
- T. f. zanzibaricus: Zanzibar
Has been considered as a subspecies of Guinea Turaco, Tauraco persa.
Habitat
Found in coastal forest and wooded thickets.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1250m, sometimes higher.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruit. Takes also flower buds and young, pale green leaf shoots. Takes occasionally insects.
Breeding
Breeds in June in Kenya. The nest is a frail platform made of twigs. It's placed 3 to 10m above the ground in thick tree foliage. Lays 2 eggs.
Vocalisation
Barking "yap yap (yap) wow wow wow wow"
Movements
A largely sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Fischer's Turaco. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Fischer%27s_Turaco
