Quick facts

On Their Toes

Turacos live high in the rainforest canopy, a crowded layer where branches, leaves and vines leave very little open space for flying. Instead of soaring between trees, these birds have adapted to a life on their feet, moving quickly and confidently through the tangle of foliage.

To help with this, turacos have specially adapted feet. One of their toes can swap position, rotating to point forwards, sideways or backwards. This clever design helps them keep their balance as they climb, scramble and hop in and out of branches while searching for fruit, leaves and buds.

This flexible toe arrangement is known as semi-zygodactyl. It works a bit like a built-in climbing tool, giving turacos a strong, stable grip and making them perfectly suited to life in the rainforest canopy.

Turacos’ True Green and Red Feathers

Turacos are one of the few birds with truly green feathers – not just a trick of the light.

Most “green” birds only look green because of feather structure and yellow pigments. Turacos are different. Their feathers contain a real green pigment called turacoverdin.

Turacoverdin is made inside the bird’s body as it processes nutrients in the liver. The pigment travels in the blood and is deposited into growing feathers, building that rich, velvety green from the inside out. Because it’s a true pigment, the feathers stay green in any light and even if they’re crushed.

Turacos also produce a unique red pigment called turacin, which gives the bright crimson flashes in their wings. Like turacoverdin, turacin is a true pigment containing copper, and it can even tint water pink if a red feather is soaked for long enough.

Geographic range

This species lives in coastal and riverine forests of Kenya, north-eastern Tanzania, and southern Somalia. In Kenya and Tanzania, it’s fairly common along the coast, the Tana River, and up to 1,500 m in the Usambara Mountains, with over 1,000 birds in some areas. The Zanzibar subspecies was once thought nearly extinct, but surveys in 2001 estimated around 1,400 individuals. Sadly, in Somalia, fewer than 50 birds likely remain, as much of their habitat has been lost, making their future there uncertain.

Use and Trade

During the 1980s and early 1990s, hundreds of these birds were exported from Tanzania for the cagebird trade, putting pressure on wild populations. Today, trade in live birds continues to be a significant threat, particularly in areas where enforcement is limited. However, a recently introduced quota system aims to control and limit the number of birds removed from the wild, helping to reduce pressure on populations.

Despite these measures, illegal trade and habitat loss remain concerns, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring and conservation efforts to ensure these birds continue to thrive in their natural forests.