Fischer's turaco (''Tauraco fischeri'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the family Musophagidae. It is found in Coastal East Africa, including

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

, and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are

subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discont ...

, subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

, and

arable land Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and trapping for the

wildlife trade Wildlife trade refers to the of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, ti ...

Name

The common name and scientific name of this bird commemorate the German explorer Gustav Fischer. This bird is also known as East African red-crested lourie.

Description

Measurements: * Length: 16 in (40 cm) * Weight: Males 8.11-9.49 oz (230-269 g); females 8.01-9.98 oz (227-283 g) These green bodied turacos have a white-tipped reddish crest, a black belly, and red primaries. They also feature green-blue wings and a dark blue-green tail. The red skin around their eyes is margined in front by a white line that extends to its bright red bill, and below by a small black patch also boarded by a white line that extends to below its ear-covets. Their white eye stripes and red orbital skin help to distinguish them from the more common Red-crested turaco.

Call

The song of the Fischer's turaco is described as a series of loud growls where the rising notes commence slowly and progress as a series of up to 12 identical notes.

Distribution and habitat

The Fischer's turaco inhabits coastal and riverine forest and woodland in Coastal East Africa, specifically in Kenya, north-eastern Tanzania, and southern Somalia. This species lives in forest thickets, but does favor the canopy and sub-canopy of mature fruiting trees. They are common in their limited range, but are more often heard than seen because they travel alone or in pairs, which makes them hard to spot.

Diet

This bird eats mainly fruits (especially figs and berries), but also eats flower buds, young leaf shoots, and insects.

Conservation

The population of Fischer's turacos is decreasing, with the current number of mature individuals estimated to be 1,500 - 7,000. This species is currently protected by the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES) Appendix II. In Somalia, Notification to the Parties No. 2004/055 was enacted in 2019, which suspended all commercial trade of the species.

Breeding

Once bonded, the Fischer's turaco makes a loose, platform stick nest in the tree canopy. Both males and females help build the nest and incubate the eggs. A typical clutch consists of 2 white eggs that feature an incubation period of 22–23 days. Chicks fledge from the nest between 4–5 weeks, but are not able to fly until about 6 weeks of age.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1001693 Fischer's turaco Birds of East Africa Fischer's turaco Taxonomy articles created by Polbot