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A Ross's turaco with violet-blue feathers, a yellow bill and a red crest.
Photo: Ed Schipul from Houston, TX, US, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ross's Turaco

Musophaga rossae

A fruit-eating African forest bird, also called Lady Ross's turaco, whose red feathers get their color from a copper-containing pigment.

🐦 Turacos
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About the Ross's Turaco

Ross's turacos live in forests and wooded valleys across central and eastern Africa, in countries such as Cameroon, Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia. They eat mostly plants and fruit, and sometimes insects. These social birds travel in small, noisy flocks of up to 30, hunting for fruit in the trees.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Musophaga rossae[1]
Size
37.5 to 45 cm (15 to 18 inches) long.[1]
Weight
Less than 0.45 kg (under 1 pound).[1]
Lifespan
About 5 to 9 years.[1]
Diet
Mostly plants and fruit, sometimes insects.[1]
Habitat
Forests and wooded valleys.[1]
Where it lives
Central and eastern Africa, including Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.[1]
Group life
Small, noisy flocks of up to 30. Pairs are usually monogamous.[1]
Babies
2 eggs, incubated for 21 to 24 days. Chicks fledge at 4 to 7 weeks.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2024).[2]

Fun facts

  • Turacos are the only birds with true red and green pigments in their feathers.[1]
  • Turaco red (turacin) and green (turacoverdin) pigments both contain copper.[1]
  • A turaco can turn some of its toes forward or backward.[1]
  • When excited, a Ross's turaco raises its crest about 5 cm (2 inches).[1]

Vocabulary

pigment
A natural substance that gives something its color.
copper
A reddish metal; tiny amounts are found in some living things.
crest
A tuft of feathers on top of a bird's head.
flock
A group of birds that live, travel or feed together.
fledge
When a young bird grows its flight feathers and is ready to fly.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Animal Info. “Lady Ross's Turaco.” https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/lady-ross-turaco/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Musophaga rossae (Ross's Turaco).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22688391/264165763 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.