But it is relatively light because it’s largely hollow inside. In the soothing greens of the wetlands in the Pantanal, if your calm is unsettled by a dazzling yellow-orange beak attached to a bird wearing black and white, you are looking at the toco toucan! It is also known as giant toucan, common toucan or just ‘toucan’.īeing the largest toucan, this avian beauty only looks heavy. Downloaded on 26 November 2018.Great place to see the toco toucan: Pantanal, Brazil Ramphastos toco (amended version of 2016 assessment). 1985.Ī/accounts/ramphastos/r._toco$narrative.htmlĮ/specpage/toucan.htmīirdLife International. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds: The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World. New York: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Birds: Their Life, Their Ways, Their World. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to hunting pressure and taking of young as pets Many species are popular in the pet trade due to its brightly colored bill and keen intelligence. There are areas of South and Central America where some species are rare due to hunting for food, ornamental feathers, and curio items. The toco toucan is subject to habit loss due to intense deforestation. Often found in abandoned tree hollows or old woodpecker holes, 5 to 6 adults may sleep in one hole. When toucans sleep, they turn their head so that their long bill rests on their back and their tail is folded over their head. The toco toucan is a poor flyer, moving from tree to tree mostly by hopping.Īlthough scientists have yet to discover the exact function of such a large bill, they believe it may play an important role in the courtship display and as a defensive weapon. Toucans have a loud frog-like call that can be heard up to a half mile away in the jungle. The birds have also been used as a tribal totem and the medicine man may use them to fly to the spirit world In certain religions of South and Central America, father of a new child must not eat toucan flesh as it might bewitch the newborn and cause it to fade away. In its native region, toucans are associated with evil spirits and are thought to be the incarnation of a demon. Its tongue is like a feather that is used to catch and flick food down its throat. It is hollow, made of protein keratin with thin rods of bone to support it and is similar in consistency to a hard sponge. The toucan's beak appears quite heavy, but is actually light. The population appears to be decreasing but is not severely fragmented. Habitat Tropical rain forests Population Global: The total population is unknown but believed to exceed 10,000 mature individuals. Scientific Classification Common Name toco toucan Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Piciformes Family Ramphastidae Genus Species Ramphastos (large beak) tocoįast Facts Description Orange skin around the eyes black body except for a white throat Size Body: up to 62.5 cm (25 in.) beak: 18.75 cm (7.5 in) Weight 600g (12 oz) Diet Omnivorous mainly fruits, but occasionally insects, reptiles, birds and eggs Incubation 16 to 20 daysĬlutch Size 2 to 4 eggs Fledging Duration 8 to 9 weeks Sexual Maturity 3 to 4 years Life Span Up to 20 years Range This species has an extremely large range and can be found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Uruguay.
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