FEATHERY FRIDAY# 32
We were in South Africa yesterday and we’re staying on the continent today to meet a Feathery friend! We’re going to the forests today to meet a lovely little bird! Grab your binoculars because we’re going birding!
MEET THE RED CRESTED TURACO!
Range/Habitat: Southwestern Africa/ forests
Diet: Omnivore: fruits, leaves, snails
Length/Weight: 16-17”/ 7-12 oz
Conservation Status: Common
Fun Facts:
- Red crested turacos have a special cooper pigment that is unique to the Turraco family.
- If you stir a glass of water with a feather from the Red crested turaco, the water would turn pink!
- Red crested turacos live in the canopy of the forests.
- They have mobile outer toes for gripping branches.
- They hop from branch to branch looking for food.
- Red crested turacos are highly territorial.
- They live in family groups or flocks.
- Red crested turacos bond for life and both the female and male build the nest and incubate the eggs.
- Red crested turacos disperse seeds throughout the forest through their poop!
Wow, aren’t these birds amazing with their funny crests on their heads? We could watch them hop around tree branches all day!
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 
Strange little bird..! If the water color turns red after stirring with feathers, does that also mean the feather loses color? Imagine how the bird must feel everytime it rains! 😀
That is a good question, we guess that they don’t actually loose color when it rains! Most birds get their color from a refraction of light on their feathers & not from pigment. Turacos are special because they have pigment :)!
It looks like he has a mohawk!