ANIMAL: Green Aracari Pteroglossus viridis Type of Animal: Toucan Habitat: Forests & savannas Location(s): Guiana Shield, NE Amazon Basin of Brazil, E Orinoco River drainage of Venezuela Appearance: Male has black head/neck, female has bright chestnut head/neck, both sexes have yellow/dark red/black beaks, bare skin around eyes turquoise in front & red behind, yellow belly, females have smaller bills Food/Diet: Fruits, insects, nuts, eggs, small lizards, young/small birds, vegetables, insect larvae Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, aquariums, breeding centers, & aviculture Lifestyle: Flocks of 2-16 birds. Break off into pairs/families for breeding/nesting season. Sometimes helpers aid in rearing of younger siblings. Additional Info: Called: Male: Cock Female: Hen Young: Chick Group: Flock Weight: Male: 5.6 oz Female: 3.8 oz Gestation: 2.5 weeks Life Span: 7-8 years in wild, 10-15 years in captivity Height: 1 ft Body Length: 1 ft Tail Length: 0.5 ft Main predators are raptors, snakes, crocodilians, felids, & monkeys. Females lay 1-4 eggs per clutch. Can produce up to 4 clutches per year. Sexually mature at a year old. Serrated edges of bills help grip/gather food. Like all toucans, they don’t have down feathers at any age & have parrot-like zygodactyl feet (2 toes forward & 2 back). To sleep, they place bills on backs & raise tails to form roof over backs/bills. Have woodpecker-like chuckling call. Fun Fact(s): Very popular in pet trade, being most popular toucan species kept as pets. Bill honeycomb of bone containing lots of air. Since they’re poor flyers, they often move around by hopping. Able to adjust blood flow in beak. Bristles along sides of tongue help bird catch/taste food before swallowing.
