Knysna Turaco Tauraco corythaix Scientific name definitions

Despite its vocal nature and bright green plumage with a rounded, white-tipped crest, the Knysna Turaco is more often heard than seen. This species occupies coastal and inland evergreen forest, from sea level to 1,800 meters, and is locally common from the southern Western Cape to northeastern South Africa and northwestern Eswatini. Knysna Turaco was formerly considered conspecific with Schalow's Turaco (T. schalowi) and Livingstone's Turaco (T. livingstonii), but it differs in plumage (1 Forshaw, J. M. (2002) Turacos: A Natural History of the Musophagidae. Nokomis Editions, Melbourne, Australia. Close ), genetics (2 Veron, G., and B. J. Winney (2000). Phylogenetic relationships within the turacos (Musophagidae). Ibis 142(3): 446–456. Close , 3 Perktaş, U., J. G. Groth, and G. F. Barrowclough (2020). Phylogeography, species limits, phylogeny, and classification of the turacos (Aves, Musophagidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. American Museum Novitates 3949:1–61. Close ), and vocalizations (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1988). Vocalisations of green turacos (Tauraco species) and their systematic status. Tauraco 1: 64–71. Close ). Vocal differences were an important argument in treating these taxa as separate species, with Knysna Turaco having an advertisement call consisting of more notes and delivered at a much faster pace than Schalow's Turaco (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1988). Vocalisations of green turacos (Tauraco species) and their systematic status. Tauraco 1: 64–71. Close ). Differences in advertisement call with Livingstone's Turaco are less obvious, but comparison of entire vocabulary suggests clear differences in secondary vocalizations.

Length 45–47 cm. Mass male 280–380 g, female 262–350 g. Adult has rounded, erectile, “helmet-like” crest green, tipped white  ; head , neck, breast , and mantle bright green; tail, rump, back, scapulars, and wing coverts dark metallic green with emerald and violet-blue glosses; belly and undertail coverts dull blackish, washed with green; remiges bright crimson with blackish tips; white stripe from gape to top of eye is separated from one running under eye to ear coverts by small black loral patch; eye brown, orbital ring red; bill  orange-red; legs blackish. Immature duller than adult, less red in wings, crest shorter and bill olive-brown.

Formerly considered conspecific with T. schalowi and T. livingstonii, but plumage and genetics (2 Veron, G., and B. J. Winney (2000). Phylogenetic relationships within the turacos (Musophagidae). Ibis 142(3): 446–456. Close , 3 Perktaş, U., J. G. Groth, and G. F. Barrowclough (2020). Phylogeography, species limits, phylogeny, and classification of the turacos (Aves, Musophagidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. American Museum Novitates 3949:1–61. Close ), and vocal differences (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1988). Vocalisations of green turacos (Tauraco species) and their systematic status. Tauraco 1: 64–71. Close , 1 Forshaw, J. M. (2002) Turacos: A Natural History of the Musophagidae. Nokomis Editions, Melbourne, Australia. Close ) support recognition as full species. Two subspecies recognized.

Southern and eastern portions of South Africa from southern Western Cape to northeastern South Africa (eastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga) and northwestern Eswatini.

Coastal and inland evergreen forest from sea level ( , ) to 1,800 m.

Mainly sedentary throughout its range.

Although primarily a fruit-eater , particularly favoring Rothmannia capensis, Rapanea melanophloeos, Apodytes dimidiata, and Olea capensis, will also eat with impunity the fruits of bushman's poison (Acokanthera spectabilis), which are highly toxic to mammals. Also takes seeds, leaf buds of Bauhinia and Ficus, and flowering heads of the cabbage-tree (Cussonia). In captivity, total fruit intake was 124 g per day, and parents actively searched for insects and earthworms during chick-feeding stage, but not at other times.

Vocal Development

Little information. Chicks make mewing sounds (5 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Vocal Array

Advertisement call. Main call a series of 10–25 raucous cawing notes, initially faint with short notes, then louder and slightly faster, delivered at a mean pace of ~2.5–3 notes/second. When calling, the head is pushed forward, the bill is opened briefly with each note, while throat and breast are inflated and the full body is moving at the rhythm of the calls.

Kekekek. A short burst of rather high-pitched overslurred kek notes are given at a pace of about 6‒8 notes/s. Kek notes are also given singly.

Chorus. When several birds are vocalizing together in an excited chorus, birds utter a continuous series of cawing notes while other birds utter kek notes (the two elements which form the basis for the two previous vocalizations).

Grumble. A very faint staccato series of low-pitched guttural notes, sounding like a rattled grumble. Only audible at close range.

Grunt. A short guttural rattle or growl grrrrrr, only audible at close range.

Other. An adult on nest with hatched chicks hissed loudly when disturbed (1 Forshaw, J. M. (2002) Turacos: A Natural History of the Musophagidae. Nokomis Editions, Melbourne, Australia. Close ).

Geographic Variation

Has not been studied in detail, but advertisement call of both races with disjunct distribution very similar. Knysna Turaco was previously considered conspecific with Schalow's Turaco and Livingstone's Turaco, but vocal differences were an important argument in treating these taxa as separate species, with Knysna Turaco having an advertisement call consisting of more notes and delivered at a much faster pace than Schalow's Turaco (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1988). Vocalisations of green turacos (Tauraco species) and their systematic status. Tauraco 1: 64–71. Close , 1 Forshaw, J. M. (2002) Turacos: A Natural History of the Musophagidae. Nokomis Editions, Melbourne, Australia. Close ). Differences in advertisement call with Livingstone's Turaco are less obvious, but comparison of entire vocabulary suggests clear differences in secondary vocalizations.

Phenology

Little information. Presumably vocal all year with increased activity during the breeding season (1 Forshaw, J. M. (2002) Turacos: A Natural History of the Musophagidae. Nokomis Editions, Melbourne, Australia. Close ).

Daily Pattern of Vocalizing

Mainly calls in early morning and towards dusk, but can be heard at other moments of the day as well. Calling from one bird prompts vocal responses from neighboring individuals.

Places of Vocalizing

Typically calls from within the canopy of trees, remaining well concealed; however, in early morning or at sunset, may call from conspicuous perches atop emergent branches of tall trees (1 Forshaw, J. M. (2002) Turacos: A Natural History of the Musophagidae. Nokomis Editions, Melbourne, Australia. Close ).

Sex Differences

No known differences.

Social Content and Presumed Functions of Vocalizations

Little information. Advertisement call presumably for territorial defense, while kekekek call is given in excitement or alarm. Grumble and grunt evidently for short range communication between members of a pair or group. Both sexes have been heard to make such calls when together at a nest under construction (1 Forshaw, J. M. (2002) Turacos: A Natural History of the Musophagidae. Nokomis Editions, Melbourne, Australia. Close ).

None documented.

Breeds November–January and June–July in southern and eastern Cape Province, and August–November in Natal. Nest a shallow platform of sticks, much like that of a large dove (Columbidae), ~2–9 m above ground in leafy tree or among dense creepers. Lays 2, occasionally 3, smooth white eggs; incubation 23–26 d, by both sexes; young fed by regurgitation, remain in nest for 22–26 d, making first flight at 28–35 d, but dependent upon parents for several weeks more.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. A fairly common resident over much of its range, but the ever-shrinking extent of coastal forests in Cape Province and adjacent areas will ultimately affect the population of nominate subspecies T. c. corythaix (6 Turner, D. A., and P. F. D. Boesman (2017). Knysna Turaco (Tauraco corythaix). In Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ).