Knysna turaco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Knysna turaco |
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| Pair | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Tauraco
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| Species: |
corythaix
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| Range of the Knysna turaco: subspp. corythaix (south) and phoebus (north) | |
The Knysna turaco (scientific name: Tauraco corythaix) is a beautiful, large bird found in parts of Africa. In South Africa, people often call it the Knysna loerie. These birds belong to a special group called turacos or musophagidae. They live in the old, thick evergreen forests of southern and eastern South Africa, and also in Eswatini.
Contents
What Does a Knysna Turaco Look Like?
The Knysna turaco is easy to spot once you know what to look for, even though it likes to hide in the treetops. This bird is about 40 to 42 centimeters long, which includes its long tail. It has bright green feathers all over its body. You'll notice its small, thick bill is orange-red, and it has a clear white line just under its eye.
One of its most striking features is its tall green crest, which has white tips. Its eyes are brown, surrounded by a deep red eye-ring. When the Knysna turaco flies, you can see its bright crimson (deep red) flight feathers. Both male and female birds look similar. Young birds have a shorter crest and don't have the white tips yet.
Where Do Knysna Turacos Live?
Knysna turacos prefer to live in dense, mature evergreen forests. These forests provide plenty of trees for them to hop between and find food. They are often seen flying from one tree to another or moving along branches. Their green feathers help them blend in with the leaves, making them hard to spot.
What Do Knysna Turacos Eat?
These birds are mostly fruit-eaters. They love to munch on different kinds of fruit they find in the forest. Besides fruit, they also eat insects and earthworms. This varied diet helps them stay healthy and strong.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Knysna turacos build simple nests to lay their eggs. They create a shallow platform nest using sticks. These nests are usually placed high up in a tree or hidden within a clump of climbing plants. A female Knysna turaco typically lays two eggs at a time.
Unique Colors of Turacos
Turacos, including the Knysna turaco, are special because they are the only birds that have true red and green colors in their feathers. For most other birds, the colors you see are actually reflections of light from their feather structure.
Turacos have unique pigments that give them their vibrant colors:
- Turacin is the red pigment.
- Turacoverdin is the green pigment.
Both of these pigments contain copper! It's so unique that if you stirred a glass of water with a red turaco feather, the water would actually turn pink! These birds keep their amazing colors all year long.
How Knysna Turacos Use Their Colors
Scientists believe the Knysna turaco uses its bright red wing feathers to help escape from predators. When the bird flies, the red patches on its wings become very noticeable. Predators tend to focus on this bright red color and follow it. However, when the turaco lands and folds its wings, the red feathers suddenly become invisible. This gives the Knysna turaco a chance to slip away unseen, leaving the predator confused.
Images for kids
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At Birds of Eden, in the Eastern Cape
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At Knysna, in the Western Cape
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The vivid plumage is still an effective camouflage in its native habitat
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Eggs of Tauraco corythaix MHNT
