LADY ROSS TURACO
Common Names: Plantain eater, Ross’s turaco, Ross’s Lourie. Ross’s plantain eater
Order: Cuculiformes or Musophagiformes (older references put it in Cuculiformes along with Cuckoos. Some sources feel that Turacos deserve an order to themselves.).
Family: Mosophagidea
Latin Name: Musophaga rossae
Habitat and Range: Canopy of evergreen and riparian forests and wooded valleys, avoiding deep forests in Central and South Africa. Is fairly common in Kenya.
Description: A medium-sized bird with a long tail and broad, rounded wings. It’s body coloration is a violet-black, composed of 2 copper pigments. There is a square, reddish crest on the head, bright yellow skin under the eyes, brilliant red under the wings that only show when in flight, black legs and feet, and orange-yellow beak with a casque and red tip. Males and females look alike.
Adult Size:: Range from 15-18 inches, weighing less than 1 pound.
Diet in the Wild: Mainly frugiferous, dining on all kinds of fruit and other succulent plant parts. They also are known to occasionally eat insects, snails, and termites.
Reproduction: The pair are monogamous. The nest is built haphazardly (dove style) with a few branches laced over a platform. They are flat and flimsy. 2-3 eggs are laid and incubation lasts 21-26 days. Both parents help incubate the eggs. The young fledge at about 4 weeks, but often leave the nest earlier, before they are even attempting to fly. They will stay near the parents even after becoming self sufficient.
Life Span: Sources differ widely. From 5-9 years to 15-20 years.
Perils: Not natural: Habitat loss, killed for their red feathers Natural: Snakes, wild cats, birds of prey.
Protection: Living in the canopy, coloration that lets them hide in the foliage, and limited flight.
Interesting Facts: x These birds are non-migratory. x They live in family groups. x Their yellow beak stretches to form a forehead shield. x Their flying ability is limited. x They run/hop along the branches of the canopy, looking like a squirrel. x When threatened, they freeze. x The Masaai use the red feathers from the underside of the wings in their headdresses. x Ross’ Turaco is in the genus Musophaga, NOT in the genus Turaco. The genus Turaco contains the green-colored Turacos, while the Musophagas aren’t green. x All Turacos are in the family Musophagidae, which – indeed – means “plantain eater” although they are NOT known to readily eat plantains (or bananas). In the wild, they actually prefer figs. There are about 20 species of Turacos. There are 6 or 7 genera of Turaco, depending on who you ask. x There are two pigments associated with Turacos: Turacoverdin = GREEN, and Turacin = RED. Turacin is NOT water soluble, but it can be dissolved in alkaline solutions (buffered water). Turacoverdin is NOT unique to Turacos, but Turacin IS specific to the family. Turacoverdin is the only green pigment known to occur in birds. Both are copper-based. Our Cleo does NOT have Turacoverdin, being one of a small group of Turacos that only have Turacin (the red crest).
Ecology: I U C N —least concern
Diet at the Zoo: Mixed fruit (they are very fond of blueberries, other berries and grapes), egg and mealworms
Sources: African Handbook of Birds—Mackworth www.brookfieldzoo.org www.mangorerde.com www.kenyabirds.org www.seaworld.org www.turacos.com