turakoo

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A bird of the family Musophagidæ and any of the genera Turacus (or Corythaix), Schizorhis, etc.; a kind of plantain-eater: sometimes extended to all the birds of this family. The species are numerous, all African, of large size and striking appearance. In the members of the genus Turacus the plumage is mostly bright-green and rich-red, and there is an elegant helmet-like crest which the birds instantly erect when excited or alarmed. They live in the woods in small companies, and their voice is very loud and harsh. One of the best-known is T. corythaix, the white-crested turakoo of South Africa. The Senegal turakoo is T. persa, Another is Schizorhis a fricanus of West Africa. The gray turakoo is a plainer species, S. concolor, of South Africa. The giant turakoo, Corythæola cristata (formerly Turacus giganteus, T. cristatus, Musophaga cristata, etc., the blue curassow of Latham, 1823), is a plantain-eater very near the species of Musophaga proper, with oval exposed nostrils, and a helmet crest; the plumage is chiefly verditer-blue, without crimson; the tail has a broad black subterminal bar; the bill is yellow and scarlet; the eyes are red; the total length is 28 inches. This turakoo inhabits West and Central Africa.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. large brightly crested bird of Africa