Great Blue Turaco

Riesenturako Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata )

The Riesenturako Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata ) is the largest Turakoart.

Features

The 75 cm long Riesenturako has a long tail and short, rounded wings. The wide, upright hood is permanently installed. The plumage is colored blue on the upper side and lower side red and yellow.

Occurrence

The Riesenturako inhabits forest edges of the lowlands, river near Galariewälder, mountain forests and forest islands in savanna in West and Central Africa.

Behavior

The flying skills of this bird are limited to a downward slide and circles. By jumping from branch to branch he gets back up. It feeds mainly on fruits, but also of invertebrates. The Riesenturako is a shy bird, but the gathers in groups, which sometimes call for minutes in the choir. The chorus starts with plaintive call, followed by short Kok Kok tones and sounds with deeper, more vibrant call from.

Reproduction

The nest, a thin platform of dry twigs is built high in the trees. The female incubates two eggs approximately 18 days from alone. It is supplied in this time by the male with food. Both parents feed the birds chick with high choked food. The young birds have small claws which are used for climbing in the branches on the wings. With 24 to 26 days the young birds fledge.