Rwenzori Turaco Gallirex johnstoni Scientific name definitions

Ca. 45 cm; 211–259 g. Might be confused only with Purple-crested Turaco (Gallirex porphyreolophus) (<em>pictured here</em> )— the two species have a slight geographical overlap, but differ in several characters (chin and throat color, nape colour and facial skin) (1 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 ). Adult Rwenzori Turaco has forehead and forecrown glossy emerald-green; hindcrown with short crest glossy purplish blue or emerald-green (varying with light direction); nape dull crimson; chin and throat  glossy dark violet (usually appearing black), sharply demarcated from green cheeks and neck; upper back and breast green, with peachy-red patch  on foreneck and breast; lower back, wing coverts and tail deep violet-blue, shading to black on rump; primaries and outer secondaries crimson with dark tips; belly  , thighs and undertail coverts gray; bill pale gray-green often with bluish wash and base finely stippled purplish red, nostrils to tip black; shape distinctive, with high, almost straight culmen rising to narrow bony ridge between eyes; eye dark brown, with narrow red eyelids; large bare patch behind, under and in front of eye mostly bright lemon-yellow, but scarlet at rear and lower edge in some individuals; legs and feet blackish. Immature undescribed. Subspecies kivuensis lacks bare facial patch , having this area fully feathered bright emerald-green.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Previously included in Ruwenzorornis. Has been placed with G. porphyreolophus in Musophaga by some authors; recent phylogenetic study, however, indicates that these two species belong together in a separate genus (2 Veron, G., and B. J. Winney (2000). Phylogenetic relationships within the turacos (Musophagidae). Ibis 142(3): 446–456. Close ). Subspecies bredoi sometimes considered synonymous with nominate, but appears to be worthy of recognition (3 Louette, M., Herremans, M. and Reygel, A. (2000). A reassessment of the subspecies in the Ruwenzori Turaco Ruwenzorornis johnstoni. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 120(1): 34–39. Close ). Three subspecies recognized.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Montane forests , generally favoring areas dominated by bamboo and Podocarpus, at least in Uganda. From 1770-3700 m (4 Bober, S. O., M. Herremans, M. Louette, J. C. Kerbis Peterhans, and J. M. Bates (2001). Geographical and altitudinal distribution of birds endemic to the Albertine Rift. Ostrich Supplement 15:189–196. Close ); a specimen record from 1200 m is generally regarded to be mislabelled (4 Bober, S. O., M. Herremans, M. Louette, J. C. Kerbis Peterhans, and J. M. Bates (2001). Geographical and altitudinal distribution of birds endemic to the Albertine Rift. Ostrich Supplement 15:189–196. Close ).

Sedentary throughout its range, but in Rwenzori Mts. may move to lower elevations during periods of very heavy rain (5 Dehn, M. and Christiansen, L. (2001). Comments on the occurrence of 15 Albertine Rift endemic bird species in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, western Uganda. Scopus 22: 13-21. Close ).

Fruits and berries , notably those of Ficus, Galiniera, Maesa, Musanga, Olea, Olinia, Podocarpus latifolius, Polyscias, Prunus, Rapanea, Rutidea, Schefflera and Syzygium. Also takes insects, snails, slugs and leaves of lianas and epiphytes (foliage constituted 6.3% of diet in Rwandan study) (6 Sun, C. and Moermond, T.C. (1997). Foraging ecology of three sympatric turacos in a montane forest in Rwanda. Auk. 114(3): 396-404. Close ). Fruits eaten by this species (and at least some other turacos) are particularly high in hexose sugars, whereas nitrogen and fatty acid content were below average (7 Sun, C., Moermond, T.C. and Givnish, T.J. (1997). Nutritional determinants of diet in three turacos in a tropical montane forest. Auk. 114(2): 200-211. Close ). Sometimes feeds in same trees with Tauraco persa and Corythaeola cristata (1 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 ) or T. schuettii (5 Dehn, M. and Christiansen, L. (2001). Comments on the occurrence of 15 Albertine Rift endemic bird species in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, western Uganda. Scopus 22: 13-21. Close ), and is usually seen in small flocks of ca. 4 individuals (1 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 ).

Unmistakable monkey-like, thin chk-chk-chk... or k, ik, ik, krowng, which is quite unlike main call of other turacos; apparently in alarm, gives resonant chip-ip-ip-ip, a series of raucous caw notes (higher-pitched than other turacos) with isolated introductory note before series slowly accelerates  to reach rate of ca. 4 notes per second (1 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 ).

Breeds in May in Uganda (where female is in breeding condition in December and downy young appear in June or July) (8 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ), May–Novembner in eastern DRC, October–November in Rwanda. Nest a small platform of sticks, much like that of a pigeon (Columbidae), some 3–5 m above ground, often in a clump of bamboo. Lays 1–2 dull grayish-white eggs; incubation by both sexes. Young bird is covered in blackish down, with bare skin around bluish eyes, but pinkish around ear coverts; bill blackish at tip, pinkish basally; legs grayish.

Not globally threatened. Although confined to the montane forests of the Albertine Rift, this distinctive species appears to be fairly common throughout its rather restricted range. Known from several protected areas including Rwenzori Mountains National Park (5 Dehn, M. and Christiansen, L. (2001). Comments on the occurrence of 15 Albertine Rift endemic bird species in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, western Uganda. Scopus 22: 13-21. Close ), Mgahinga National Park , and Bwindi National Park (W Uganda).