Corythaixoides concolor
Silhouette: Lisa M. "Pixxl" (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The grey go-away-bird (Crinifer concolor), also known as grey lourie, grey loerie, or kwêvoël, is a bold and common turaco of the southern Afrotropics. They are present in arid to moist, open woodlands and thorn savanna, especially near surface water. They regularly form groups and parties that forage in tree tops, or dust bathe on the ground. Especially when disturbed, they make their presence known by their characteristically loud and nasal "kweh" or "go-way" calls, with the last syllable typically a descending drawl. Within their range, their unique appearance and habits preclude confusion with other bird species.
The grey go-away-bird was formally described in 1833 by the Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith from specimens collected inland from Port Natal (now Durban) in South Africa. He coined the binomial name Corythaix concolor. The specific epithet concolor is Latin meaning "uniform", "similar in colour" or "plain". The grey go-away-bird is now placed in the genus Crinifer that was introduced by the Polish zoologist Feliks Paweł Jarocki in 1821.
Four subspecies are recognised: Wikipedia →
Recording0:11
Zimbabwe · 2025
© Moira FitzPatrick · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:21
Botswana · 2019
© Dewald du Plessis · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Botswana · 2024
© dominiquev · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 6 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 8 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 9 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 10 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 11 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 12 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 13 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 14 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 15 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Lubango | 🇦🇴 Angola |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giraffe House | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Dullstroom Bird Of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Elephant Sanctuary, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Birds of Eden | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
No species of the same family or order lives in Johannesburg, so these are its closest relatives here: other birds.
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Go-Away-Bird sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 2,551 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 7th most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, May and July–September
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Go-Away-Bird in Johannesburg on a given day, against about 50% in November, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grey Go-Away-Bird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Grey Go-Away-Bird sightings, Johannesburg has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Harare (Zimbabwe, about 50%) and Pretoria (South Africa, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey Go-Away-Bird is recorded against all the birds logged in Johannesburg (2,551 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
