There are two subspecies, the nominate subspecies T. l. leucotis found in the Podocarpus forests of Eritrea, Ethiopia and southeastern South Sudan and T. l. donaldsoni found in south-central Ethiopia south of the Rift Valley and in the extreme west of Somalia [REF].
The white-crested turaco has been shown to hybridise with the sympatric Prince Ruspoli's turaco (Tauraco ruspolii) that contributed more to concerns about Ruspoli's turaco that is considered endangered.