The Guinea Turaco

There is an otherworldly charm to the Guinea Turaco. It first popped into our field of vision while we were taking photos of the colourful flocks of finches at the seed troughs. Our (by then) overheating digital camera refused to focus, and we lost a golden opportunity to cross this one off our birding list. Fortunately, we tracked it down later, although this photo was done at maximum zoom. The Turaco was content to just sit there and be photographed.

Snapped at The Bloedel Conservatory. Guinea Turacos (or Green Turacos) look rather flamboyant, given their built-in tri-colour eyeliner. If that doesn’t grab your attention first, its emerald green plumage will, and the flash of red on its coverlets. Like many other colourful birds, the Turaco hails from Africa. It seems that Australia, South America and Africa have the monopoly on these, don’t they?