Knysna Turaco

Found year-round in the dense Afromontane forests of the southern and eastern Cape, this species forages actively through the mid-canopy, moving between fruiting trees with a distinctive bounding, almost clumsy flight that briefly flashes vivid crimson wing patches — an unmistakeable field marker when birds break cover. Listen for a loud, repetitive *kok-kok-kok-kok* call that carries well through closed-canopy forest, often revealing a bird before it is seen, and watch for the bold white-tipped green crest held erect when alert. Activity peaks in the early morning and again near dusk, so positioning yourself along a forest edge or near a fruiting fig or Podocarpus tree during these crepuscular windows in late summer, when fruit is most abundant, gives the best chance of prolonged, close observation.