Turaco Spotting Look for these handsome birds on your next visit to the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park. Great blue turaco Corythaeola cristata: The largest type of turaco, measuring about 29 inches long, this species is also the most widespread. At the Zoo: Scripps Aviary At the Park: between Lorikeet Landing and Lemur Walk
Livingstone’s turaco
Violet turaco Musophaga violacea: Although it has an eyecatching head, this is the only turaco species that doesn’t sport a feathered crest. At the Zoo: Scripps Aviary Livingstone’s turaco Tauraco livingstonii: An all-green body and helmet-shaped crest distinguish this species from the other turacos in our collection. At the Park: Frequent Flyers bird show Ross’s turaco Musophaga rossae: Measuring about 21 inches long, this species is the second-largest in the turaco group. At the Park: Hidden Jungle Red-crested turaco Tauraco erythrolophus: When excited, this bird may raise its crest to a height of two inches. This crimson-capped bird is the national bird of Angola, where most of the population is found. At the Park: Hidden Jungle
Red-crested turaco
trees. They mostly run along tree branches, using their long tail to stay balanced, and hop between high and low branches. To move to a more distant tree, a turaco switches to “flap-flap-glide” flying mode. In addition to that long tail, the turaco has another unique adaptation afoot—literally! Like many birds, a turaco has four toes on each foot: three forward-facing and one rear-facing. The outermost front toe can be rotated to the rear to give the bird a more secure grip on a branch. This extra anchoring ability allows a turaco to access food in a variety of ways—even while hanging upside down!
Family Matters Violet turaco
When it comes to breeding, turacos are monogamous and dedicated parents. Courtship involves much calling and chasing, as well as bowing and wing-spreading by the male and, eventually, mutual feeding. Once the mates have found and accepted one