 Bird:
Channel-billed Toucan
(Ramphastos vitellinus)
Range:
Size:
Diet:
Description:
This species has a black bill, which is blue at the
base. The throat is yellow, there is a broad red band
on the breast, and the rump and crissum are red. The
skin around the eye may either be blue or red.
Natural History:
Personal History:
Chaz -
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Bird: Keel-billed Toucan
(Ramphastos sulfuratus)
Range:
Keel-billed Toucans can be found from Southern Mexico to around Venezuela and Colombia. They roost in the canopies of tropical, subtropical, and lowland rainforests. They make their homes in holes in trees, often living with several other toucans. This can be a very cramped living space, so they tuck their tails and beaks under themselves to conserve space while sleeping. Adding to the lack of space, the bottoms of the holes are often covered with pits from the fruit the toucans have eaten.
Size:
Including their bills, Keel-billed Toucans range in length from around 17 to 22 inches.
Diet:
The diet of Keel-billed Toucans consists mostly of a wide range of fruit, but may also include bird eggs, insects, lizards, tree frogs. Their bill, surprisingly dexterous, allows them to eat a large variety of fruit that might not otherwise be reached. When eating the fruit, Keel-billed Toucans will use their bill to pick the fruit, and then toss their heads back and swallow the fruit whole.
Description:
Their large and colorful bills averages around 5-6 inches, but can be up to one third of its length. While the bill seems large and cumbersome, it is in fact hollow and made of keratin, a very light protein.
The plumage of the Keel-billed Toucan is mainly black with a yellow neck and chest. Molting occurs once per year. They have blue feet and red feathers at the end of their tails. Their bills are mainly green with a red tip and orange sides.
Natural History:
Like many toucans, Keel-billed Toucans are very social, very playful birds. They travel in flocks of approximately six to twelve other birds, and have a family structure within their group. They will often be seen "dueling" with each other using their bills, and throwing fruit into each other's mouths. As mentioned before, the Keel-billed Toucans live together in these groups, often sharing cramped living quarters of holes in trees. They are rarely seen alone.
Personal History:
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Bird: Toco Toucan
(Ramphastos toco)
Range:
Lowlands of south central and eastern South America
east of the Andes from Guianas south through Amazonian,
northern, eastern, and southeastern Brazil, extreme
southeastern Peru, northern, eastern, and southeastern
Bolivia and Paraguay to northern Argentina. Found in
woodland, second growth, and palm grove habitats.
Size: The largest of all toucans.;
Length: 12 - 24 in.; Wingspan: 2 ft.; Weight: 600 -
700 g
Diet:
Fruit, berries, insects, spiders, and sometimes eggs,
nestlings, and fish.
Description:
They have short rounded wings and a long tail. Their
feet are strong, clawed, and zygodactyl. They have a
very large, brightly colored beak and a long fringed
tongue. The bill is orange, with a large oval black
spot at the tip. Their plumage is primarily black with
a white chest patch. The rump is white and the crissum
is red. Their feet are blue and their eyes are surrounded
by a yellow patch. There is no sexual dimorphism.
Natural History:
They are gregarious arboreal birds. The vioce is limited
to croaks, rattles, and shrill cries. They are fond
of bathing, mutual preening, mock fencing, and grappling
with their huge bills. They lay 2 - 4 glossy white eggs
in an unlined tree cavity that may be natural or created
by other birds. Both the male and female will uncubate.
The young hatch naked and blind and are equipped with
heel pads. Both parents help to raise the young and
fledging occurs in 40 - 50 days.
Personal History:
Sam, Tony, Mikey, and Captain - All named after cereal
personalities and all captive bred in California in
1997.
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