The Purple-crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus) is a species of bird in the Musophagidae family. It is found in South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.
This bird has a purple coloured crest above a green head, a red ring around their eyes, and a black bill. The neck and chest are green and brown. The rest of the body is purple, with red flight feathers.
They live in moist woodland and evergreen forests. They eat mainly fruits.
The Purple-crested Turaco is the National Bird of the Kingdom of Swaziland. The crimson flight feathers of this and related Turaco species are important in the Ceremonial Regalia of the Saswati Royal Family.
It was listed in 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species… It is quite common on the South Coast of Natal, where I managed to capture these photos.. but it is a shy bird and although you hear them they are difficult to capture in flight and in the trees as they choose dense foliaged trees to sit in… In five years these are the only photos I got.. although they spent a lot of time in the trees on our property..
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
You just have the most BEAUTIFUL birds to photograph there 🙂
And you the most perfect squirrels…
🙂
Beautiful, there is absolutely nothing like that here… maybe not even in the U.S. Can they be pets?
I have never seen one in captivity… but I believe the feathers are used for signs of certain tribe royals…
He has a very friendly face. I like the last photo very much. Beautiful bird.
Thank you… they are beautiful birds…
The purple crested bird is super cool. Love it. Thanksk for capturing the vividness of the creature. 🙂
Thanks it is an impressive bird and very camera shy…
Is that bird for real? Almost looks tooooo colourful to be real.
Not quite as colourful as the Knysna lourie but boy a beauty difficult to catch on camera…
I can imagine it’;s tricky. Knysna loerie, haha, pink loerie festival – now there’s a bright bunch worth seeing.
Wonderful photos of a beautiful bird.
Thank you… difficult to capture…
what a colorful bird!
Thank you it is just that..
stunning birds! Well, most are, but these are – those crimson flight feathers! Gorgeous! Thanks 🙂
Try my life out to catch them on camera… at times they fly overhead in a glide… if one could only capture that as the colours seem to change with their angle to the sun… magnificent..
What a colorful and interesting looking bird! Sad to see so many species on the IUCN Red List.
I hate that list, as every time I go over it I find another specie endanger… such a shame…
What a striking, multi-coloured bird – beautiful photos!
It’s beautiful .. will come and sit right in front of me when I don’t have a camera.. and as soon as I have nowhere to be found…
I agree the third photo wins the contest– totally posing for you BD!! 🙂 🙂 What colors on this creature — so amazing you see them in your yard on a regular basis! I hope the species can be protected ~xo
I asked one of the experts and they told me a lot of birds are on the list solely because no one has recently checked numbers… that doesn’t give me courage.. but nature can have a way of turning things around… I’m hopeful for all species..
😉 Yes – I am hopeful for this too~ bd xo
Absolutely spectacular looking bird! I can imagine it wouldn’t have been easy getting these pics.
Wonderful 🙂
Not easy at all… unless you don’t have a camera in hand.. then they’re right in front of you…
Like the day I was sitting at the lake and a duck flew past my face and straight into the side of a bridge. He fell into the water, resurfaced, looked around, brushed himself off and started flying again! Hmmm – where’s the video camera when you need it!
Beautiful bird…great photos!
thank you not an easy bird to photo…
What a magnificent bird, bdt. He looks so cheeky in that third photo. 🙂
Thank you.. you must have them there by you as well…