you are correct in saying turacos are very unreal. do you know what is especially unreal about turacos? they are the only bearers of not one, but two unique pigments known as turacin and turacoverdin, named from the bird itself. both of these pigments are copper-based, unlike other pigments found in birds and just, really, vertebrates in general. the vibrant greens in turacos are due to turacoverdin, which is the /only/ truly green pigment in birds (the rest are just tricks of the light, really). turacin gives them that pretty red, which, to me, is a much deeper color than other bird pigments.
