Flying jewels from Shimoni forest

This week we have enjoyed of some nice sightings of the rare Fischer's Turaco (Tauraco fischeri). This colourful bird is difficult to spot because of his scarcity and habits: it inhabits the tree tops, prefering to jump or walk from branch to branch than flying. Its mainly green coloration helps him to mimetize among the vegetation, making it a difficult sighting. However, when it flies, it shows its beautiful red and blue wings.

This is one of the characteristic species of the African Eastern and Coastal Forest ecoregion, appearing only in the coastal forests of Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia, from sea level and up to 1500 meters in the Usambara mountains in Tanzania. This forests are very degradated and endangered (one of the reasons why GVI works here), and hence, the habitat of this weird and beautiful bird, which depends on dense and healthy forests for its survival.

Distribution of Fischer's Turaco.

Flying jewels from Shimoni forest