| White-bellied go-away-bird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Tarangire National Park | |
 | |
| In Tanzania | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Musophagiformes |
| Family: | Musophagidae |
| Genus: | Crinifer |
| Species: | C. leucogaster |
| Binomial name | |
| Crinifer leucogaster (Rüppell, 1842) | |
 | |
| Approximate distribution Year-round | |
The white-bellied go-away-bird (Crinifer leucogaster) is a bird of eastern Africa in the family Musophagidae, commonly known as turacos.
German naturalist Eduard Rüppell described this species in 1842.
The white-bellied go-away-bird is placed in the bird family Musophagidae ("banana-eaters"), which includes plantain-eaters and other go-away-birds. Although traditionally, this group was placed within cuckoos in the order Cuculiformes, recent genetic analysis have strongly supported separate placement in the full order of Musophagiformes. [2] [3] [4]
They are semi-zygodactylous meaning the fourth (outer) toe can be switched back and forth. Musophagidae often have prominent crests and long tails. Some species are renowned for their bright pigments.
There is an ongoing discussion over generic-level classification: C. leucogaster is often referred to as being in the genus Corythaixoides or Criniferoides. [5] Most earlier taxonomic treatments place it within Corythaixoide, however many concluded that it required the genus, Crinifer. [6] [7]
This species averages 51 cm (20") in length. [8] Its long, pointed grey and black tail with a white median band is characteristic of the species. It has a white under-wing patch, visible in flight. The adult has a grey head and leading to a dark grey to blackish pointed crest with an approximate length of 6 cm. The belly and under-tail coverts are white, giving the bird the first part of its name "white-bellied".
The bill is black in male, pea-green in the female (becoming yellowish during the breeding season). [8] Females also tend to be larger, weighing 225g - 250g, where as males only weighed 170g - 225g. The juvenile is similar to adults, with the plumage being more brown, especially on wing-coverts.
Typical calls are a nasal haa-haa-haa, like bleating of a sheep, and a single or repeated gwa (or g'away), this distinctive call is where the bird gets the latter part of its name "go-away". It flies from tree to tree in loose straggling groups, calling loudly.
Their habitat consists of hot acacia-steppe, savanna, and woodland areas. It avoids deep forest, but the species has been seen at a range of elevations, from sea level up to 2000m.
Go-away birds are limited to their local ranges due to water availability, but the species occurs across a vast area in and around the Horn of Africa. It is found in Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, northern and eastern Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, northeastern Uganda, and southwards into the eastern plateau of Tanzania.
The white-bellied go-away-bird is sedentary in its range, wandering locally when searching for water and food sources. They are gregarious birds that do not migrate but move in family groups of up to 10. They are territorial and a breeding pair likely maintains its territory year round.
Feeding
The white-bellied go-away-birds feed primarily on plant matter such as fruits, flowers, nectar, seeds and buds of acacias. [8] The species is also known to eat some invertebrates, such as winged termites found when foraging. The species are very agile climbers, allowing for easy foraging in the tree tops. As a result of these feeding habits the White-bellied Go-away-bird is considered a pest in some regions, raiding orchards and plantations of fruiting trees and vegetable crops.
Breeding
During the breeding season (which usually starts with the rainy season), white-bellied go-away-birds become much more vocal. This varies according to range. [8] The birds exhibit courtship behaviour, including chases from tree to tree and displays, where the birds bow and flick the long tail whilst raising and lowering the crest. The black and white pattern is enhanced by these postures and this is believed to be the purpose of the patterning. The white-bellied go-away-bird is monogamous and mutual feeding has been recorded between partners.
The nest is placed in acacia-type tree, 3-12m above the ground. The female lays 2–3 pale bluish eggs. Both sexes incubate for approximately 4 weeks. The first flight of chicks occurs approximately 4–5 weeks after hatching. However, they still depend on parents for food for several weeks after fledging.
The population of white-bellied go-away-birds has not been quantified. [9] Its conservation status is stated to be "of least concern". This is because the population is not believed to be below 10,000 mature individuals and the bird has a wide distribution of over 3 million km2, meaning it does not meet vulnerability criteria. Furthermore, the population appears stable and not to be in decline.
The white-bellied sea eagle, also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford's sea eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies. A distinctive bird, the adult white-bellied sea eagle has a white head, breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers contrast with the white coverts. The tail is short and wedge-shaped as in all Haliaeetinae species. Like many raptors, the female is larger than the male, and can measure up to 90 cm (35 in) long with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft), and weigh 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). Immature birds have brown plumage, which is gradually replaced by white until the age of five or six years. The call is a loud goose-like honking.
The turacos make up the bird family Musophagidae ( "banana-eaters"), which includes plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. In southern Africa both turacos and go-away-birds are commonly known as loeries. They are semi-zygodactylous: the fourth (outer) toe can be switched back and forth. The second and third toes, which always point forward, are conjoined in some species. Musophagids often have prominent crests and long tails; the turacos are noted for peculiar and unique pigments giving them their bright green and red feathers.
The eastern plantain-eater also known as the eastern grey plantain-eater, is a large member of the turaco family, a group of large arboreal near-passerine birds restricted to Africa.
The great blue turaco is a bird species of the family Musophagidae. At 70–76 cm (28–30 in) in length, it is the largest species of turaco. It has predominantly grey-blue plumage with an upright blue-black crest around 10 cm (3.9 in) high. The male and female have similar plumage. It is widespread throughout the African tropical rainforest.
The tambourine dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent from the drier areas of south-western Africa. There is a population on the Comoros Islands.
The grey go-away-bird, also known as grey lourie, grey loerie, or kwêvoël, is a bold and common bird of the southern Afrotropics. They are present in arid to moist, open woodlands and thorn savanna, especially near surface water. They regularly form groups and parties that forage in tree tops, or dust bathe on the ground. Especially when disturbed, they make their presence known by their characteristically loud and nasal "kweh" or "go-way" calls, with the last syllable typically a descending drawl. Within their range, their unique combination of colour, appearance and habits precludes confusion with other bird species.
The grasshopper buzzard is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which is found in a narrow zone of sub-Saharan Africa north of the equator.
The bare-faced go-away-bird is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae which is native to the eastern Afrotropics. It is named for its distinctive and uniquely bare, black face.
Fischer's turaco is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae. It is found in Coastal East Africa, including Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and arable land. It is threatened by habitat loss and trapping for the wildlife trade.
The white-tailed crested flycatcher is a species of bird in the flycatcher family Stenostiridae. It has a discontinuous distribution in eastern Africa. There are three subspecies, E. a. albonotata of central Kenya, and Uganda through to south west Tanzania; E. a. subvaerulea, which ranges from southern Kenya to Malawi and E. a. swynnertoni of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Crinifer is a genus of birds in the turaco family. They are restricted to Africa. Formerly, the genus only contained the plantain-eaters, but in 2021, go-away-birds were merged into the genus.
