Raising Lady Ross's Turacos at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Abstract

D isney's Animal Kingdom (DAK) is comprised of many unique and interesting animal habitats. The African aviary is located just outside of Harambe village on Pangani forest exploration trail. This 62 ft. W x 120 ft. L x 40 ft. H freeflight aviary with large trees, lush vegetation, and a two - tiered waterfall which empties into both upper and lower ponds is home to 23 species of birds native to Africa, including a pair of Lady Ross's Turacos Musophaga rossae. The aviary has become home to our first Lady Ross's Turaco chick, a unique breeding situation because the rearing of this chick, although closely monitored by the aviary staff, was left entirely up to the parents and occurred in this very large free-flight habitat. Turacos are often hand-reared or foster reared in smaller, more accessible environments. In addition, the African aviary is visited by as many guests in one month as visit most other zoos in one year!

Lady Ross's Turacos are widely distributed from northern and eastern Zaire, southern Sudan, Uganda, western Kenya, northeastern Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, to all of southern Zaire, northeastern Angola, and northern Zambia. They inhabit the canopy of evergreen forests, deciduous thickets, and rainforests remaining high in the trees. (Ed. Fry, Keith, and Urban, 1988) Although they may glide from tree to tree, they are best appreciated as they hop from perch to perch, running along branches more than flying. (Phalen, Tocidlowski, and Faske, 1999).

These birds are very active and gregarious. They may occur in feeding groups as large as 12 individuals, although they are more often found in pairs. (Ed. Fry, Keith, and Urban, 1988) These birds are monogamous, solitary nesters that exhibit moderate to extreme territorial behavior, especially when nesting. Sexually monomorphic, both sexes have a crest of dark crim-

 

son, the skin around the eyes is bare and yellow in color, along with a yellow frontal shield and bill. The rest of the body is a glossy blue-black and the eyes are brown. The family Musophagidae is unique in that many of its members produce one or both of the copper based pigments green turacoverdin and red turacin. The red pigment is confined to the wings and in Violaceous, Musopbaga violacea, and in Lady Ross's Turacos to the crest. (Phalen, Tocidlowski, and Faske, 1999)

The hand-reared female was acquired on 10 October 1997 from Chaffee Zoological Gardens of Fresno, and the foster reared male (by Schalow's Turacos, T sbalotoi) on 11 December 1997 from the Houston Zoological Gardens in Houston, Texas. Both turacos were six months old when acquired and were housed initially at a holding/quarantine facility in Gainesville, Florida until 3 February 1998 when they arrived at OAK.

The pair was released into the freeflight aviary on 15 February 1998. The turaco pair was acclimated and introduced to each other prior to release. It didn't take long for them to begin showing signs of bonding and interest in each other as mates. By 25 March 1998, the pair was observed spending a considerable amount of time together and were seen displacing other birds in the aviary. Courtship and nesting behavior were observed 40-52 days after their initial release into the aviary. Courtship involved long trilling vocalizations, allopreening, wing flashing, bill fencing, and solicitation by the female for feeding from the male. The pair also began carrying small twigs in their beaks and became increasingly aggressive to other birds in the habitat. Displacement behaviors exhibited by the pair include chasing, and actual physical attacks, though other birds were never seriously injured.

 

The turacos were undaunted in their courtship and nesting behavior except for the presence and interference of a hand-raised 1.0 White-bellied Go-awaybird, Corytbaixoides leucogaster, that also came from Houston. Both of the Lady Ross's Turacos showed interest in this male White-bellied Go-away-bird, alternating between aggressive and nonaggressive (even courtship-like) behaviors. Due to the interference of the White-bellied Go-away-bird with the Lady Ross's Turacos, and other difficulties he presented, this bird was removed from the aviary.

A great deal of nesting activity was observed throughout 1998 and into 1999 as the birds continued to carry nesting material and investigate nest sites. The intensity of their courtship displays increased. By 27 September 1999 a nest was observed in a clump of bamboo, Bambusa sp., approximately 30-35 feet above the ground.

The nest consisted largely of sticks approximately 1/s inch in diameter of various lengths broken from the tree branches, not observed to be picked up from the ground. The sticks also appeared to come from the same type of tree, possibly a Chinese Elm Ulmus panrfolia; the nest also consisted of a large amount of leafy foliage. Both the male and the female contributed to building the nest.

Upon completion, it was the male that spent most of the time tending the nest site, joining the female 3-4 times a day in their courtship ritual. No copulation was observed. By 6 October 1999 it became apparent that incubation of one or more eggs was taking place, as one adult remained on the nest at all times. The early days of incubation found the male primarily on the nest in the early mornings and late evenings, while the female incubated from late morning (approximately 1130 to 1400) until approximately 1900. 

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References

Fry C. Hilary, Keith Stuart, and Urban Emil (eds.), Birds of Africa. Volume 111,1988

Phalin David N., DVM, PhD, Tocidlowski Maryanne, DVM, and Faske jay and Suzanne, Turacos: Husbandry, Management, and Medical Considerations, Association of Avian Veterinarians, Session #6030,1999.

Todd William "Trey," Turaco TAG Husbandry Manual,1998. ~