Abstract
The distinctive characteristics of the Lady Ross's Touraco are its erectile crimson-colored crest and its bright yellow bare facial skin behind and above its eyes. The beak and frontal shield to the crest is also yellow. The body is a glossy violacous blue-black color with the breast and tail lacking the hint of green. Its eyes are brown and its legs and feet are black. The sexes are alike so these birds must be surgically or feather sexed to guarantee that one has a true pair.
The Lady Ross's Touraco is indigenous to Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic. This species also occurs in small areas in the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
The Lady Ross's Touracos I managed were housed in a tall aviary belonging to Mr. Jim Gunderson along with a pair of Victorian Blue-crowned Pigeons. The aviary dimensions were 10 feet wide, 11 feet long, and 10 feet high. This aviary was heavily planted with many shrubs and trees, which helped these touracos to feel more secure as they were quite shy. Their nest was approximately seven feet above the ground and was located in a very secure (planted) area of the aviary. The nest itself was a bowlshaped, thick wicker basket. It was 14 inches in diameter and seven inches deep.
Their first clutch was laid in the month of July 1989. The two eggs were laid on the 19th and the 21st. Both parents shared in the incubation process. The first egg hatched on August 17th and the second on August 19th. The incubation period took 28 days. The babies were removed from the nest when they were approximately 11 days of age. The babies were hand-fed for the next six weeks. At this time, the babies were independent and were able to feed themselves.
Their second clutch was laid on the 18th and 20th of September. As with the first clutch, they were laid two days apart. These babies hatched on the 16th and 18th of October 1989. Again, the incubation period was 28 days and the staggered hatching shows that the incubation started when the first egg was laid.
The diet for the adult touracos was a mix consisting of rice, Mexican bananas, pears, apples, finely grated carrots, peas, canteloupe, red grapes and corn. A powdered vitamin was mixed into the food. If too much of the powdered vitamin was added, the birds would not eat the fruit. A slice of papaya was also fed in the morning.
The diet for the baby touracos when they were pulled for handfeeding included cubes of bananas,melons, peas, and peeled apples (the babies could not digest the skins).