Tauraco livingstonii
Livingstone’s Turaco is a beautiful but very shy bird of evergreen forests, where it feeds on buds, fruits and flowers. It is very similar in appearance and closely related to, and was previously considered a subspecies of, the Knysna Turaco. They’re usually encountered in pairs or family groups foraging in the forest canopy. Pairs are monogamous and normally raise two chicks during the spring and summer months. Adults measure about 45cm in length and weigh between 260 and 370g.
Livingstone’s Turaco has a very limited distribution in South Africa, being found only in the north-east corner of Kwazulu-Natal where it is common, though much easier heard than seen, in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Beyond our borders it occurs as far north as Tanzania and Burundi. The IUCN considers this species to be of least concern, though citing habitat loss as a concern.
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