---
title: "Purple-crested Turaco"
description: "Gallirex porphyreolophus — Birds. The purple-crested turaco (Gallirex porphyreolophus) or, in South Africa, the purple-crested loerie, (Khurukhuru in the Luvenḓa (Venḓa) language) is a species of bird in the turaco clade with an unresolved phylogenetic placement."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/purple-crested-turaco
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Purple-crested Turaco

> Gallirex porphyreolophus — Birds. The purple-crested turaco (Gallirex porphyreolophus) or, in South Africa, the purple-crested loerie, (Khurukhuru in the Luvenḓa (Venḓa) language) is a species of bird in the turaco clade with an unresolved phylogenetic placement.

- Scientific name: *Gallirex porphyreolophus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest)
- iNaturalist observations: 1641
- Wikidata: [Q1063701](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1063701)
- iNaturalist taxon: [1505988](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1505988)

## Names

- en: Purple-crested Turaco
- de: Glanzhaubenturako
- es: Turaco Crestimorado
- fr: Touraco à huppe splendide
- it: Tauraco porphyreolophus
- nl: Purperkuiftoerako
- pt: Turaco-de-crista-violeta
- pl: Turak rdzawy

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (1298), ZW (86), MW (49), TZ (33), MZ (30), SZ (26), ZM (14)

## Summary

The purple-crested turaco (Gallirex porphyreolophus) or, in South Africa, the purple-crested loerie, (Khurukhuru in the Luvenḓa (Venḓa) language) is a species of bird in the turaco clade with an unresolved phylogenetic placement. Initial analyses placed the purple-crested turaco in the family Musophagidae, but studies have indicated that these birds do not belong to this family and have been placed in the clade of turacos with an unresolved phylogeny. It is the National Bird of the Kingdom of Eswatini, and the crimson flight feathers of this and related turaco species are important in the ceremonial regalia of the…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple-crested_turaco

## Photo

![Purple-crested Turaco](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/purple-crested-turaco/medium.jpg)

Photo: Louis L. Lodder · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/67180965

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/purple-crested-turaco?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).