Eastern plantain-eater

The eastern plantain-eater (Crinifer zonurus) 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.

Eastern plantain-eater
female, Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Uganda
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Musophagiformes
Family: Musophagidae
Genus: Crinifer
Species:
C. zonurus
Binomial name
Crinifer zonurus
(Rüppell, 1835)

This species is a resident breeder in open woodland habitats in tropical east Africa. It lays two or three eggs in a tree platform nest.

These are common, noisy and conspicuous birds, despite lacking the brilliant colours of relatives such as the violet turaco. They are 50 cm (20 in) long, including a long tail, and weigh 392–737 g (13.8–26.0 oz).[2] Their plumage is mainly grey above spotted with brown. The head, erectile crest, neck and breast are brown streaked with silver. The underparts are whitish, heavily streaked with brown.

The eastern plantain-eater has a thick bright yellow bill, and shows a white wing bar in flight. The sexes are identical, but immature individuals have a black woolly head without silver streaking.

This bird is similar to the closely related western plantain-eater. However, eastern plantain-eater has white tail bars, and lacks the chest bars and dark wing feather shafts of its western relative.

This species feeds on fruit, especially figs, and other vegetable matter.

Photographed at Nyabyeya College, Uganda

References

  1. BirdLife International. (2016). "Crinifer zonurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22688420A93196836. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688420A93196836.en. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  2. CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.
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