What to Know About the Great Blue Turaco in Uganda?

The Great Blue Turaco in Uganda is one of the African birds in Uganda seen during Uganda bird watching tours. It is a turaco, a group of African near-passerines, and the largest species of turaco. Generally, the great blue turaco is 70–76 cm in length with a mass of 800–1,231 g.

The blue and yellow tail feathers of the great blue Turaco are prized for making good luck talismans. It is resident breeder in Kibale forest national park.

How Does the Great Blue Turaco in Uganda Look Like?

The adult has turquoise-blue upperparts, including wings and tail. The tail is long and wide, and shows a broad, black subterminal band.

Most birds have narrow blue tips. The outer rectrices are partially edged yellow. The wings lack the crimson primaries of other turacos.

On the underparts, neck and upper breast are turquoise-blue. Lower breast and belly are greenish-yellow, as the under-tail feathers.

The tail has black subterminal band. Lower belly, under tail-coverts and tibial feathers are chestnut. On the turquoise-blue head, there is a conspicuous blue-black raised crest on forecrown and crown.

Chin, throat, cheeks and outer eye-ring are greyish. The large convex bill is bright yellow with red tip. The eyes are reddish-brown, surrounded by bare dark turquoise-blue eye-ring. Legs and feet are blackish.

Both sexes are similar, with female slightly larger than male. The juvenile is duller. It has greyer breast and shorter crest.

How Does the Great Blue Turaco in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

The Great Blue Turaco gives loud series of deep, resonant, guttural “kok-kok-kok”. A bubbling softer trill may sometimes precede this series “prru…prru”. These calls are usually uttered at dawn and dusk.

How Does the Great Blue Turaco in Uganda Feed?

The Great Blue Turaco feeds primarily on fruits from numerous plants’ species, but it also takes buds, shoots, leaves and flowers, and occasionally some insects.

It feeds on leaves all day round, and especially in the evening. The chicks are fed with regurgitated leaves.

They often forage in small flocks and several birds often gather at fruiting trees. Except during the hottest hours of the day, they start to feed at dawn and throughout the day to the dusk.

At the end of the day, each group reaches its usual night perches. It frequently moves to find its favored fruiting trees.

It returns to the feeding areas every day. The large fruiting trees may attract several groups. These birds live in social groups of 6-20 birds.

The Great Blue Turaco is very agile for climbing into the branches, and moves rapidly in trees. They are shy birds and rarely come down to the ground, except to bathe and drink.

How Does the Great Blue Turaco in Uganda Nest?

Both adults build a platform with a shallow rim, made with dry sticks. The nest is placed in tall leafy tree, between 8 and 25metres above the ground, and often over water.

How Does the Great Blue Turaco in Uganda Breed?

The breeding season varies according to the range. The courtship displays often begin at the onset of the rainy season.

We can hear much calling, and the birds chase each other from tree to tree. They perform mutual feeding, raise and lower the crest, and expose the head and bill patterns.

They bow and flick the long tail to display the colored pattern of the rectrices.

How Does the Great Blue Turaco in Uganda Reproduce?

The female usually lays 2 pale blue eggs which are almost spherical. Both parents incubate during 29-31 days.

The chicks are continuously attended by parents at nest during 27-29 days. They are fed by both adults, often assisted by a helper.

At four weeks of age, the young climb around the nest, and are able to make short flights in the tree at 27-33 days.

They leave the nest 5-6 weeks after hatching, but parents remain with them until they are able to fly better. The young are still fed for up to three months.