Black-billed turaco

Black-billed turaco
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Musophagiformes
Family:	Musophagidae
Genus:	Tauraco
Species:	T. schuettii
Binomial name
Tauraco schuettii (Cabanis, 1879)
Distribution of the black-billed turaco
Synonyms
Tauraco schuetti

The black-billed turaco (Tauraco schuettii) is a medium-sized turaco, an endemic family to sub-Saharan Africa. It is a resident breeder in the forests of central Africa, found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, West Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan.

Description

Pl. II Remarques sur l'ornithologie de l'État indépendant du Congo.

The bird is 40 cm (16 in) long; ranging in weight from 199–272 g (7.0–9.6 oz). Adult similar to green turaco, distinguished by small all-black bill and rounded whitish crest. It lays two eggs in a platform of twigs around 3 to 5 m (9.8 to 16.4 ft) above the ground. Both the male and female defend a territory and share incubation duties.

Its call is a distinctive feature of the forests of the Congo, a resonant kwah khaw kwah. In areas where its range overlaps with the Rwenzori turaco it will aggressively respond to the calls of that species.

It is a widespread species and is not threatened globally (CITES II).

References

1. BirdLife International (2016). "Tauraco schuettii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T22688316A93192338. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688316A93192338.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.

• Del Hoyo, Elliott and Sargatal (editors), Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol 4, ISBN   84-87334-22-9