bird · GBIF taxon 2475223
Great Blue Turaco
Corythaeola cristataAlso known as Blue Plantain-Eater, Giant Turaco
These spectacular, canopy-dwelling birds travel through the African rainforest in small, noisy family groups, leaping and gliding gracefully from branch to branch. Their resonant, deep-throated chorus of rolling calls often echoes across the forest at dawn and dusk, signaling their presence long before they are spotted. As vital seed dispersers, they feed heavily on wild fruits, swallowing them whole and passing the seeds intact across their vast forest territories.
ArborealVocalFrugivorous
Licensed referenceGiles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
- diet
- Frugivorous, consuming wild fruits, figs, flowers, and occasional leaves
- family
- Musophagidae
- threats
- Habitat loss from logging and hunting for meat and decorative feathers
- life Span
- 15 to 20 years
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Listen for calls: Locate them by listening for their loud, rolling, monkey-like choruses at dawn.
- Scan the canopy: Look high in the forest canopy, especially in fruiting fig trees.
- Watch their movement: Observe their unique, heavy hops and long, gliding flights between trees.