Photo: Tom Tarrant / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Blue Turaco
Corythaeola cristata
Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) — Cuckoos & Turacos of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) is a member of the Musophagidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 965 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Musophagiformes
- Family Musophagidae Turacos
- Genus Corythaeola
- Species cristata
Where it lives
Guinea-Bissau and Guinea to western Kenya, northwestern Tanzania and northern Angola
Quick facts
- Weight
- 965 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Musophagidae
- Order
- Musophagiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Blue Turaco is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Blue Turaco is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) belongs to the Musophagidae family of the order Musophagiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Guinea-Bissau and Guinea to w Kenya, nw Tanzania and n Angola.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 965 g, with a wing length of about 32.1 cm and a tail of around 36.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Blue Turaco?
The Great Blue Turaco is a very large bird that weighs around 965 g.
Where does the Great Blue Turaco live?
The Great Blue Turaco is found across Africa with a range covering AF Guinea-Bissau and Guinea to w Kenya, nw Tanzania and n Angola, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Great Blue Turaco belong to?
The Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) belongs to the Musophagidae family, in the order Musophagiformes.
What does the Great Blue Turaco eat?
The Great Blue Turaco is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Great Blue Turaco migrate?
The Great Blue Turaco is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great Blue Turaco endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Blue Turaco make?
1 real field recording of the Great Blue Turaco — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Blue Turaco's range?
The Great Blue Turaco has a mapped global range of about 3.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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