Hello! We are the Livingstone’s Turacos. We are beautiful green birds found in Southern Africa. Have a look at some interesting points about us:
- We are beautiful birds with a unique and characteristic crest that has a white tip and is pointed.
- We are named after Charles Livingstone, brother of Scottish physician David Livingstone.
- Compared to other birds like us, we are very hardy birds meaning we can withstand extreme temperatures. We can withstand temperatures as low as 10 degrees Celsius to temperatures as high as 36 degrees temperatures.
- We mostly live in trees and only come down to feed and bath.
- We are found in many parts of the world in Aviaries. We are also kept as pets.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Tauraco livingstonii.
Identification: Green colored medium-sized birds with blue tinge on wings and white tipped crest.
Our Habitat: Coastal and Montane evergreen forests.
Our Range:
Food Habits: Herbivorous; feed mainly on fruits, seeds, and grains.
Breeding Period: October to February; depends on range.
Number of eggs laid: 2-3 eggs.
Incubation period: about 22 days.
Lifespan: 20-25 years in wild; 28-30 years in captivity.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Appendix II.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Musophagiformes
Family: Musophagidae
Genus: Tauraco
Species: T. livingstonii
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
Livingstone Turaco is named after Charles Livingstone, brother of Scottish physician David Livingstone.Livingstone Turacoes are scientifically called as Tauraco Livingstonii.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are attractive green colored birds with a body length of about 40cm-75cm, a tail length of 40cm-45cm and weigh 260gms-380gms. We have green color body with tinge of blur on our wings and tail. Our underparts have blue and red colored feathers.
Our beak is dark red in color with light red tip. Our eyes are black in colore surrounded by a red skin and white stripes. Our unique characteristic feature is our crest. We have a white tipped green crest that points forward and upwards.
Males and females of our species look alike with males being larger than females. Young ones of our species look dark colored with blue tinge.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer living in habitats like Coastal and Montane evergreen forests. We are found in Southern Africa, in countries like Burundi, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and South Africa.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are herbivorous birds and mainly feed on fruits, seeds, and grains.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We are social birds and live in small groups. We are territorial birds. Our breeding season changes with the area we live in. In Malawi, it is from October to December, In Mozambique, it is from December to June, in other parts it is from September to February. We are monogamous birds meaning we have a single mate in a lifetime. The pair builds its nest on a platform using sticks and twigs.
Female lays 2-3 eggs at a time and the incubation period is about 22 days. Incubation is done by both the parents. The young chicks are taken care of and fed by both the parents. The young chicks reach sexual maturity after 1 year. Our lifespan is 20-25 years in the wild and 28-30 years in captivity.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are forest-dwelling birds and only come down of trees to feed and bathe.
We are not good fliers; we glide from tree to tree and move small distances.
In captivity, we are mostly seen in aviaries and not much as pets, but we are kept as pets in many parts of the world.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are abundantly found in our range. We are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN, we are listed in CITES Appendix II and in India, we are protected under Schedule IV of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
