I have been determined to photograph these birds ever since I first saw them a few years ago. They have been insanely elusive for me until recently. At least 4 of them have begun to get quite comfortable in my yard most mornings & evenings to the point that I managed to get 2 decently close photographs of them.

I am so hopeful that this could lead to me actually taking beautiful & aesthetically pleasing photographs of them. Keeping all my fingers & toes crossed !

Interesting facts from Africa Geographic

Turacos make up the bird family Musophagidae (literally ‘banana-eaters’), which includes plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. There are 23 species of turacos which vary in appearance quite dramatically.

The Schalow’s turaco Tauraco schalowi) is a frugivore – their preferred diet consists of fruits – and is named after the German banker and amateur ornithologist, Hermann Schalow.

This turaco can be easily identified by its colours and markings: their body is a coppery-jade green that fades to a dark iridescent blue the closer you get towards the tail. They have long white-tripped crests with small red beaks and red skin around their dark eyes lined with white feathers.