The red-crested turaco (''Tauraco erythrolophus'') is a

turaco The turacos make up the bird family Musophagidae ( "banana-eaters"), which includes plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. In southern Africa both turacos and go-away-birds are commonly known as loeries. They are semi-zygodactylous: the fourth ( ...

, a group of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Otidimorphae The Otidimorphae is a clade of birds that contains the orders Cuculiformes (cuckoos), Musophagiformes (turacos), and Otidiformes (bustards) identified in 2014 by genome analysis. While the bustards seem to be related to the turaco The tura ...

birds. It is a

frugivorous A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts and seeds. Approximately 20% of mammalian herbivores eat fruit. Frugivores are highly dependent on the abundance an ...

bird endemic to western

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

. Its call sounds somewhat like a jungle monkey.

Description

The red-crested turaco weighs 210-325 g and is 45-50 cm long. It looks similar to the

Bannerman's turaco Bannerman's turaco (''Tauraco bannermani'') is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae. It is endemic to Cameroon. In French it is known as ''touraco de Bannerman'' or ''touraco doré''. Its scientific and common names honour the ornitholo ...

, but differs in crest and face colors. Both sexes are similar.

Behaviour

They are seen in flocks of up to 30 birds, or in pairs. They usually remain in trees, only coming down to eat or drink.

Voice

A deep barking call. the female's call is slightly higher-pitched than the male's. They are highly vocal, particularly at dawn.

Reproduction

Red-crested turacos are monogamous. Both mates build a flimsy nest 5 to 20 meters above the ground in dense foliage. After laying eggs, both birds incubate the eggs. The young leave the nest at 4-5 weeks old.

As a national bird

The red-crested turaco is the

national bird This is a list of national birds, including official birds of overseas territories and other states described as nations. Most species in the list are officially designated. Some species hold only an "unofficial" status. National birds See al ...

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

. It occurs quite commonly along the length of the Angolan escarpment and adjacent forested habitats.

Gallery

Image:Red-crested Turaco RWD.jpg, At

San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a p ...

, U.S. image:Tauraco erythrolophus.JPG, At

Weltvogelpark Walsrode Weltvogelpark Walsrode, known as Walsrode Bird Park or Jubs in English until 2010, is a bird park located in the middle of the Lüneburg Heath in North Germany within the municipality of Bomlitz near Walsrode in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany ...

, Germany image:Zuliz.JPG, At

Pombia Safari Park Pombia Safari Park is a safari park, zoo and amusement park in Pombia, Piedmont, northern Italy, created by Angelo Lombardi in 1976; extending over an area of 400,000 square metres. After the gradual decline of the old structure, acquired by Orfeo ...

, Italy image:RedCrestedTuracoHead.jpg, At Brevard Zoo,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

image:Turaco-bird-leipzig-zoo.jpg, At Zoo Leipzig, Germany.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q769898

red-crested turaco The red-crested turaco (''Tauraco erythrolophus'') is a turaco, a group of African Otidimorphae birds. It is a frugivorous bird endemic to western Angola. Its call sounds somewhat like a jungle monkey. Description The red-crested turaco weighs ...

Endemic birds of Angola