NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Purple-crested Turaco
Gallirex porphyreolophus (Vigors, 1831)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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 Swazi royal family.
Wikipedia contributors, Purple-crested turaco; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:49:55.417462+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Gallirex porphyreolophus (Vigors, 1831)
- Name authority
- (Vigors, 1831)
- Common name
- Purple-crested Turaco
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Musophagiformes
- Family
- Musophagidae
- Genus
- Gallirex
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderMusophagiformes
- familyMusophagidae
- genusGallirex R. Lesson, 1844
- speciesGallirex porphyreolophus (Vigors, 1831)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Gallirex. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Ruwenzori TuracoGallirex johnstoni Sharpe, 1901 | MusophagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Musophaga porphyreolopha (Vigors, 1831) (Vigors, 1831) | synonym |
| Corythaix porphyreolopha Vigors, 1831 Vigors, 1831 | synonym |
| Tauraco porphyreolophus (Vigors, 1831) (Vigors, 1831) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1243714 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:CNSF8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.