Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great blue turaco
Corythaeola cristata
The great blue turaco is the largest of all turacos, a blue giant of the African rainforest crowned with a striking upright crest.
Characteristics
Temperament
Social, lively and noisy, in small groups in the canopy
Diet
Frugivorous: fruit, tender leaves, shoots and flowers
The blue giant of the forest
The great blue turaco is the largest species in the turaco family, reaching 70–76 cm in length. Its plumage is mostly grey-blue, topped by a tall, upright blue-black crest almost ten centimetres high. The stout bill is yellow and red, and the long tail carries a bold dark band. Male and female look alike. (Note: the mass value reported by Wikidata, 54 kg, is clearly erroneous: this bird actually weighs about 800 to 1200 grams.)
Habitat and range
It lives in the tropical rainforests of central and western Africa, where it is widespread. It frequents the canopy of tall trees, moving nimbly among the branches rather than in the air: it prefers to clamber and glide from tree to tree instead of making long flights.
Behaviour and diet
It is a social bird, often seen in small, noisy groups. It feeds mainly on fruit, tender leaves, shoots and flowers, playing an important role in dispersing forest seeds. Its calls are deep and guttural, carrying well through the dense vegetation.
Notable facts
Unlike many brightly coloured turacos, the great blue turaco owes its blue not to special pigments such as turacoverdin or turacin but to the physical structure of its feathers. In parts of central Africa it is hunted for its meat and for the feathers of its crest.
Conservation
The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN thanks to its wide range. Locally it is affected by deforestation and hunting, but overall populations remain stable.
Pros
- The largest and most striking of the turacos
- Important disperser of forest seeds
- Unique structural colour among birds
Cons
- Depends on intact rainforest
- Hunted locally for meat and feathers
