In the wild they can be found in West Africa from Gambia and Senegal east to Cameroon. They prefer open woodland, riverine forest and a humid forest edge. They are shy perching birds that prefer to stay out of sight in the dense canopy of tall trees where they run along the branches searching for fruits. More social than some turacos, they often travel in flocks of ten or twelve birds.

Nests are shallow, built of twigs in densely foliated trees and the clutch usually consists of two nearly spherical white eggs. Incubation takes 21-24 days. The nesting period is about four weeks and it takes the young almost a year to develop full coloration. Nestlings have a vestigial but functional claw on each wing joint and can use it to scramble around the nest and even out of it, before they fledge.

The turacos fourth toe can rotate forward, uniquely.The green color of the plumage of many turaco species does not result, as it does in most other green-plumed birds from the physical structure of the feathers, but from a green pigment peculiar to turacos called turacoverdin (or tracin). While violet turacos magnificent shimmering plumage does contain the green turaco pigments, these are mostly covered by dark melanins. The red in the plumage is produced by a copper-based pigment called turacin, also peculiar to turacos. The birds main call is a long series of deep, gargling cou-cou-vhou notes that run into each other, producing a pulsing roar when two birds call at the same time.

Genus of birds of the order Cuculiformes, which includes the cuckoos and touracos. There are two species, the violet plantain eater, Musophaga violacea, and Ross plantain eater M. rossae. They both occur in West African forests. They are quite large birds, about 76 cm/30 in long, with beautiful plumage.

M. rossae has violet black feathers with a red crest and much crimson under the wings. This is also a feature of touracos. Neither of the species feeds on plantains but on berries and other fruit.