Multi-coloured TURACOS and go-away-birds

Turacos and their allies are some of the world’s most colourful and beautiful birds, and the family (Musophagidae) is endemic to Africa. The family consists of 23 species that are widely distributed across the continent, but some of them have extremely limited ranges, found only in tiny, isolated pockets of forest. All turaco species are frugivorous, but leaves, buds and flowers also make up significant proportions of their diets.

Thirteen of these species are from the genus Tauraco, and these all have basic green body colours, but with considerable variations of other colours, including blues, yellows and reds. All have rather elaborate, multi-coloured crests that are a useful key to their identification.

A common feature of these birds is that they all have spectacular scarlet primary and