12 June 2017

Knysna turaco (Knysna lourie)

Location: George
Scientific name: Tauraco corythaix 


Within its range, this is an unmistakable bird, although often inconspicuous in the treetops.The small but thick orange-red bill and a white line just under the eye contrast with the mainly green plumage. It has a tall green crest, which is tipped with white. The eye is brown and the eye-ring deep red. In flight, Knysna turaco shows conspicuous crimson primary flight feathers. Sexes are similar, but juvenile birds have a shorter crest without the white tips.
The Knysna turaco is endemic to South Africa and Swaziland, with most of its population concentrated in coastal Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, occurring in Afromontane forest and riverine forest in fynbos. It feeds mainly on fruit, with seeds and invertebrates making up the rest of its diet.
It feeds mainly on fruit, supplemented with seeds and invertebrates. It does most of its foraging in the canopy of trees, sometimes descending to fruiting bushes and shrubs.