Toco Toucan

ANIMAL:
Toco Toucan Ramphastos toco

Type of Animal:
Toucan

Habitat:
Woodland, savanna, plantations, forest edge, wooded gardens, tropical forest, scrub forest, riparian areas

Location(s):
Most of Brazil, E. Bolivia, Paraguay, Guyana, Suriname, & French Guiana

Appearance:
Mostly black w/ white neck, orange beak w/ black tip, blue eye w/ orange around it, red underwings.

Food/Diet:
Fruit, insects, lizards, eggs, small snakes, birds, rodents, frogs

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & aviculture

Lifestyle:
Small flocks of 2-6 birds. Breaks off into pairs for breeding/nesting season.

Additional Info:

Called:
Male-Cock
Female-Hen
Young-Chick
Group-Flock

Weight:
Male-1.4-1.76 lbs
Female-1.14-1.4 lbs
Young-0.6 lbs

Gestation:
16-20 days

Height:
Male-2.083 ft
Female-1.75 ft

Body Length:
Male-2.083 ft
Female-1.75 ft

Life Span: 
Up to 20 years

Tail Length:
Male-6 in
Female-5.88 in

Main predators are jaguars, pumas, ocelots, large raptors, crocodilians, anacondas, & boa constrictors.

Will hide in tree hollows from predators.

Possibly declining due to pet trade, deforestation, & habitat loss.

Bill used to attract mates, catch food, for sparring, & for actual fights.

Bill is honeycomb of bone containing lots of air.

Found more often in canopy than other layers.

Pairs rear 2-4 chicks each year. Chicks stay with parents for 1 year.

Sexually mature at 2 years old.

Often uses tongue to catch food.

Interestingly, they move around by hopping because they’re poor flyers.

Largest of the toucans.

When sleeping, they tuck beak under feathers to keep warm.

Fun Fact(s):
They’re able to adjust flow of blood in beak.

Their frog-like call can be heard up to half a mile away.

Often carved into totem poles in S. America.

In some S. American cultures, it’s believed to carry messages to spirit world. In fact, it’s believed that if fathers with newborns eat toucan meat, the baby will become cursed.

Very popular in pet trade due to tame nature.

The Fruit Loops toucan “Toucan Sam” believed to be based on the Toco Toucan.