#turaco

photographs by William Chong

Ross' Turaco for a $15 Ko-fi supporter

the knysna turaco, also known as the knysna loerie, is a large turaco species primarily found in southern africa. they were previously considered to be a subspecies of the similar green turaco. these vibrantly colored birds have a bright green upper half, and a blue lower half, with crimson primary feathers. it’s believed that the bright coloration on their wings helps them escape from predators; predators focus on the bright red coloration, and lose sight of the bird when the wing is folded during flight. turacos are the only birds to possess ‘true’ red and green colors; most birds’ colorations are a result of feather structure, where turacos’ pigmentation is rich in copper - stirring a red turaco feather in water would color the water pink. they are primarily frugivorous birds, but will also feed on buds and leaves.

Also, Purple-Crested Turaco for day 30 (Gallirex) of #birdtober2025 hosted by @aholmesartstudio and Hawaiʻi ʻElepaio + Craft for day 30 of #birdtober25 hosted by @birdsnotmosquitoes and @alohaposthi

Photo: Nik Borrow, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Ross's Turaco

portrait of my bitchy and awful Aarakocra bard <3