Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – the Purple Crested Turaco

THE Purple Crested Turaco is a beautiful bird and has become relatively common in the Upper Highway area.

They are frequently heard, although generally not so easily seen as they hop around in trees.

Their call is unmistakable, although it can be confused with the Knysna Turaco, a less common resident.

Their call, together with the beautiful colours, makes them a favourite in our area.

Description
They are medium to large birds with a purple rounded crest, green upper body and chest changing to brown lower down.

The lower back and tail is a metallic purple. The most striking parts of these birds are their bright crimson/red wings, which are often only visible in flight

ALSO READ: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – the Woolly-necked Stork

Their range overlaps with the Knysna Turaco in the south including our Upper Highway area.

They also overlap with the Livingstone’s Turaco (split from the Knysna in recent years) in the Zululand/Mozambique area.

The purple heads, compared with the bright green of the other two birds, easily sets them apart.

Behaviour
They are highly vocal. The voice is a series of high pitched 10 to 15 ko-ko-ko notes that rise in volume and pitch. They also have a higher pitched kok-kok call that is often emitted in flight and a slower, growling krr-krr-krr. The calls of the Knysna and Livingstone’s Turaco are also repetitive ko-ko-ko, but have a lower pitch

They are not the best at flying and have a distinctive flight pattern with heavy wing flaps that are followed by glides.

Purple Crested Turacos are extremely agile for large birds as they run along branches and leap through canopies from branch to branch.

As they are often in the dense part of a tree, they can be difficult and frustrating to observe.

They will often visit a garden bird bath for a swim, so this is one way to get a good look at them.

Diet
They are almost entirely fruit eaters. Small fruit is swallowed whole but they peck at larger fruit. The bird will also eat the buds of certain flowers.

Breeding
The nest is a flimsy, unlined platform of interlaced twigs built by one adult with material brought by the other. Two to three eggs are laid, mainly between October to January at one to two day intervals.

The eggs are incubated for a period of 22 days by both sexes. The young leave the nest about three weeks before they can fly, which is usually after about 38 days.

Distribution
Their distribution covers the eastern side of South Africa, starting from the bottom of KwaZulu-Natal and then extending through to eastern Africa.

ALSO READ: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Southern Black Flycatcher

Habitat
They are commonly found in riverine forests, evergreen thickets, woodland, parks and gardens.

Threat
They are a common resident in the Upper Highway and are not considered threatened in our area.

Interesting facts
Their beautiful flight feathers were coveted by humans and they were hunted.

The vivid red pigment – known as turacin – is found on no other animal and, for this reason, has several cultural ties.

In Cameroon, the red feathers of the Bannerman’s Turaco are handed out to people for public distinction, courage and esteem and are worn on their heads. This is also the origin of the phrase ‘a feather in one’s cap’.

The crimson feathers are often worn in the headdress of Zulu people and, in years gone by, the King was the only person allowed to wear them.

The Purple Crested Turaco is the national bird of the Kingdom of Swaziland and the crimson flight feathers are important in the ceremonial regalia of the Swazi royal family. The feathers are also worn by traditional Maasai men.

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