My desire to impress my 11th grade biology teacher lead me to win not only his FAVOR, but the grand PRIZE in an regional bird identification quiz bowl. I was able to identify the Knysa Turaco by its CREST, a vivid shade of GREEN tipped in white, sticking up into a well groomed point.
Bird coloring and their fanciful crests have maintained my interest – whimsical elegance as they perch, flit, saunter, or soar, confirming an aspect of creation that makes me feel right in the world when all else seems wrong.
Heather
Fun fact:
Of the hundreds of green birds found in the world, only a few African species, called turacos, are really, truly green. That’s because the turacos’ green coloring comes not from refracted light, but from a unique pigment called turacoverdin.