Guinea Turaco

Alternative Name(s): Green Turaco, Green-crested Turaco, Turacus persa

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Tauraco persa

Photo by John Keep.
Photo taken: Abuko, The Gambia.

Identification

40cm. 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 yelow 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 eyestripe behind the eye, a thin white stripe running from under the eye to the upper rear corner of the earcoverts, 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 purpleish gloss. Bill red with a small black tip, eyering bright red, eye dark, legs and feet black. 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.

Taxonomy

Tauraco persa has three subspecies:

• T. p. persa;
• T. p. buffoni; and
• T. p. zenkeri.

Habitat

Forest.

Behaviour

Voice; Barking "kow kow kow kow", sounds like a yapping dog at any distance. Regular in spacing.

References

Lepage D. 2008. Avibase. Search for "Guinea Turaco" downloaded 19 April 2008.

Sinclair I, Ryan P. 2003. Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0 620 20729 9

External Links

Search for photos of Guinea Turaco in the gallery