The turacos, also known as plantain eaters and go-away birds,
make up the bird family Musophagidae (literally banana-eaters).
In southern Africa both turacos and go-away birds are also
commonly known as louries. Traditionally this group has been
placed in the cuckoo order Cuculiformes, but Sibley-Ahlquist
taxonomy raises this group to a full order Musophagiformes
Turacos are medium sized arboreal birds common to sub-Saharan
Africa, living in forests, woodland and savanna. Their flight is
weak, but they run quickly through the tree canopy. They feed
mostly on fruits and to a lesser extent on leaves, buds, and
flowers, occasionally taking small insects, snails, and slugs.
The turacos and plantain eaters are brightly colored birds,
usually blue, green or purple. The green color comes from
turacoverdin, the only true green pigment in birds. (Other
“greens” in bird colors result from a yellow pigment such as
lypochrome combined with the prismatic blue physical structure
of the feather itself.) Their wings contain