Bannerman's Turaco
Tauraco bannermani
A long-tailed, bulky greenish turaco with a yellow bill, a red crest, and gray cheeks. In flight, it explodes from the canopy, showing distinctive deep red panels in the wings. Pairs or small groups bounce agilely through montane primary and secondary evergreen forest canopies. Restricted to the Bamenda highlands of Cameroon, where it is an endangered species. Presence often revealed by its song, which lasts about 5 seconds: a whooping “hooooah” followed by 7–10 harsh croaking repeated “khaaar” notes; higher-pitched than songs of most other turacos. It is the only turaco within its range with a red crest.
Identification
Bannerman's turaco grows to a length of 43 cm (17 in). It has a grey head, orange-red crown, crest and nape, dark green upper parts, paler green underparts and a blue tail. Red under-wing patches are visible in flight, but it is a shy bird and seldom seen. Its voice is distinctive however, being a raucous series of "kow-kow-kow" notes that can be heard a kilometre away.
Taxonomy
The Bannerman's turaco was first described in 1923 by the American naturalist George Latimer Bates. Genetic studies show that this species is closely related to the red-crested turaco (Tauraco erthrolophus) and white-crested turaco (Tauraco leucolophus), having diverged from them in the late Pliocene. At that time, climatic changes occurred which subsequently led to increasingly arid conditions, a decrease in forest cover and an increase in wooded savannah. The white-crested turaco maintained a widespread distribution, perhaps by adapting to new habitats, while Bannerman's turaco became restricted to montane habitats where the forest cover remained.
- Scientific name
- Tauraco bannermani
- Authority
- (Bates, GL, 1923)
- Order
- Musophagiformes
- Family
- Musophagidae
- Genus
- Tauraco
Range and habitat
Bannerman's turaco is endemic to forested mountains in Cameroon. Its main population is in the Bamenda Highlands in western Cameroon, with some birds being present in the Massif du Mbam. It has also been recorded from forested remnants in the Bamenda Highlands in the Western High Plateau. It inhabits montane forest, either primary forests or secondary forests where plenty of tall trees are allowed to remain, supplying the fruits it needs. Its altitudinal range is between 2,200 and 2,600 m (7,200 and 8,500 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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