THE



325



Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.


Third Series .— Vol. VI.—No. 11. —All rights reserved. SEPT., 1915.



THE GREAT CRESTED TOURACO.


Corythceola cristatci.


By Leslie M. Seth-Smith, F.Z.S.


This bird, probably one of the most beautiful of the touracos,

is very common in the wooded parts of Uganda, and its resounding

notes make the forest ring. It usually goes about in flocks of from

eight to a dozen, always keeping in high trees. I have never seen

one on the ground. Their running and jumping up branches of trees

are very characteristic. When flying they go in a string with a

considerable interval between the individuals. Their flights are

never very prolonged as far as I have observed, just from one

patch of forest to the next, say a quarter of a mile at the outside.

The leader leaves the top of his tree and enters the next tree about

half way up and then his running and jumping starts till he is at

the top of this tree, whence he flies off again, the others following

in turn.


Though I have never come across the nest, it is, I understand,

usually not very high, like a pigeon’s nest, and often in a single tree,

not in forest. A friend of mine tells me that August is the month

to expect to find them. If this is so it would appear that they have

two nesting seasons, as a young one was brought to me, evidently

having fallen from its nest, on February 23rd this year. I gave the

boy a rupee for it and told him to go and look for the nest and bring

the other one and I would give him another rupee ; but he never

went.


When the nestling arrived it was very small but covered

with down, except the head which was quite bald; the tail was



