This Grey Go-away-bird was hanging around the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona, for several months in the fall of 2007. I was lucky enough to get this photo of the bird on November 22, 2007, with my Kodak DC 4800 camera through my Celestron 80mm WIde View spotting scope. Here's some more info about the bird: The Grey Go-away-bird (
Corythaixoides concolor) is a member of the turaco family. It is found in Southern Africa and is one of the least colorful turaco’s, many of which are as colorful as parrots. The Grey Go-away-bird is named for its call and it is a very social bird, often living in groups of up to 30 birds. It has a preference for open thornbush country, often near water. It eats fruit, leaves and insects. In captivity, it tends to prefer grains and leaves rather than fruit. How this bird got to the Gilbert Water Ranch is a complete mystery. It seems in good plumage and health and is not banded. It is illegal to export Grey Go-away-birds from Africa and therefore illegal to import them into the US. They are extremely rare in captivity anywhere in the world and they are not as popular with breeders as the more colorful turacos. A few US zoos have Grey Go-away-birds, such as the San Diego and Cinncinati Zoo. The local World Wildlife Zoo in Glendale has a small flock in their African Aviary, but according to the director, all are apparently accounted for. Contacts with local, national and international turaco breeders and societies (e.g, the International Turaco Society) have found no known birds in captivity locally. In late February 2008, this bird (identified by a broken tail feather) moved 12 miles away to Tempe near the ASU campus.