Ross' Turaco

Ross' Turaco

Musophaga rossae

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Kampala

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

823 Verified sightings at Kampala
1,361 In all 12 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Ross' Turaco

Ross's turaco or Lady Ross's turaco (Tauraco rossae) is a mainly bluish-purple African bird of the turaco family, Musophagidae. This species expresses very little sexual dimorphism, with both males and females being the same deep shade of blue with red head crowns and flight feathers. Females can have slightly more yellow-green beaks while males always have a bright yellow, with both having a forehead shield that flares to a medium orange. Their wings are round and short, best for short bursts of powered flight. They have black legs with three forward facing toes; with a fourth toe being semi-zygodactylous, which makes them nimble canopy dwellers. Size can vary from 15 to 18 inches and weigh just under one pound. They are considered very sturdy birds that can live anywhere from 8 to 20 years. Sources on life spans tend to vary.

This bird is mostly found in woodlands, open forest and riparian habitats in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. They generally avoid heavily forested areas and their numbers remain strong despite the... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
2 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~20%
3 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
4 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
5 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
6 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~10%
7 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~10%
8 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
9 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
10 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
11 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
12 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
~40%
2 Kigali 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Ross' Turaco in Kampala?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Ross' Turaco sighting in Kampala on a given day, based on 823 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 28th most-seen of the 332 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Ross' Turaco in Kampala?

January, May–July and September–November

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Ross' Turaco in Kampala on a given day, against about 20% in April, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Ross' Turaco?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ross' Turaco sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kampala the best place to see a Ross' Turaco?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Ross' Turaco sightings, Kampala has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Kigali (Rwanda, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Ross' Turaco live in Kampala?

Same family: Musophagidae

The closest relatives of the Ross' Turaco that you can see in Kampala (family Musophagidae, Turacos) are Eastern Grey Plantain-eater (about 70%) and Great Blue Turaco (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ross' Turaco sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ross' Turaco is recorded against all the birds logged in Kampala (823 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.

← Back to Kampala