Purple-crested Turaco… one SOB to capture..

Purple-crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus)

I’ve always known this bird as one of the Lourie family, but somewhere down the line it became a Turaco… so we will go with that. This bird 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 SiSwati Royal Family. I’ve never captured this bird in flight so I borrowed this photo from the web… thanks web…

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.

But this bird is so damn difficult to capture on camera… well it is for me… I hear the other birds saying “Oh it’s easy!!” well not for me…

But this one did co-operate … for a change and I got some captures … finally… They live in moist woodland and evergreen forests, and they eat mainly fruits.