In this section are copies of original works of art. All of them are dedicated to helping us live according to unconditional love and compassion, which is the foundation of our peaceful means of bringing true and lasting peace to all of God's creatures, whether they are human beings or other animals.
(Artwork - 144)
White-cheeked Turaco (Tauraco leucotis)
There are approximately 23 species of turaco, or Musophagidae, also known
as plantain-eaters and loeries, all of which are found only in sub-Saharan
Africa. They used to be placed in the same order, Cuculiformes, as the
cuckoos, but now mostly are believed to be the sole family in their own
order, the Musophagiformes. They have semi-zygodactyle feet, meaning two
toes point forward, one back, and one, the fourth (outer) toe can be
directed either way, which is a handy arrangement for perching, and climbing
about among branches. Some species, known as “go-away birds”, are coloured
in grey, black and white and live in open savannahs and arid regions. Other,
woodland species are famous for having their plumage coloured with green and
red pigments not yet found elsewhere in other birds.
The green in parrots and numerous other bird species comes from
“refraction”, with light waves bent to reflect the blue part of the spectrum
over yellow pigment. But the turacos have a pigment called turacoverdin, a
true, green pigment. The red in the wing feathers comes from turacin,
whereas, so far as is known, in all other birds red colour comes from
carotenoids or phaeomelanins (importing rusty shades). Turacin is famous for
being water soluble, if the water is alkaline. Rain water won’t wash the
colour out, but bathing in an alkaline rain puddle might do so. Turacin
contains about six percent copper in a complex with an organic compound
called uroporphyrin! (This is all very technical and I’m probably not
explaining it well, but interesting as it is different from the source of
colour in other bird species; one of the best known such complexes is heme,
that gives our blood its red colour.
Arboreal, turacos are consummate fruit eaters, especially the fruit of
Podocarpus and juniper, but will take leaves, buds, flowers and even small
invertebrate animals, including gastropods (slugs). They love bananas and
plantains.
The White-cheeked Turaco is roughly pigeon-sized, although slender and
long-tailed, weighing from about 200 to 315 grams (7.1 to 11.1 oz). There
are two subspecies. I’ve painted the nominate one which is found in Eritrea,
Ethiopia and parts of the Sudan. On the east side of the Rift Valley is the
second race, T. l. donaldsoni, found in parts of south-central Ethiopia and
the western tip of Somalia. The White-cheeked is the species of turaco most
often seen in zoos, and is frequently captive-bred for the exotic pet trade.
They are not endangered, do not migrate, and make loosely constructed
platform nests out of interlacing twigs. They are social birds full of
character.
The painting is gouache-watercolour on acrylic on illustration board,
approximately 20.5 by 15.5 inches.
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Copyright © Barry Kent MacKay
Barry describes himself as a Canadian artist/writer/naturalist.
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