Bird of the Week – Purple-crested turaco

FORMERLY known as the purple-crested lourie, this national bird of Swaziland loves evergreen woodlands and thickets.

This common resident around the South Coast is seen in pairs, is shy and hard to observe.

Its flight is heavily interspersed with glides and its brilliant crimson coloured wings are especially conspicuous in flight.

The purple-crested turaco’s voice is a high-pitched ‘ko ko ko ko’ sound, 10 to 15 times, followed by 20 slower ‘krr krr krr’ sounds.

The bird feeds on fruit, young insects and slugs and parents regurgitate their food for chicks.

Its Zulu name is iGwalagwala.