Toucan
Toucan | |
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Keel-billed Toucan | |
Scientific classification | |
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Family: | Ramphastidae Vigors, 1825
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Genera | |
Aulacorhynchus |
Toucans are near passerine birds from the neotropics. They are brightly marked and have enormous, colorful bills. The family includes six genera and about 40 species.
Toucans range in size from 18 to 63 cm (7 to 25 in). Their bodies are short (a bit bigger than a crow's) and thick. The tail is rounded, and varies in length from half the length to the whole length of the body. The neck is short and thick, and at the base of the head is a huge, brightly-colored beak that measures, in some large species, more than half the length of the body. A toucan's tongue is long, narrow, and singularly frayed on each side, adding to its sensitivity as an organ of taste.
The legs of a toucan are strong and rather short. Their toes are arranged in pairs with the first and fourth toes turned backward. Males and females are the same color. The feathers in the genus containing the largest toucans are generally black, with touches of white, yellow, and scarlet. The underparts of the araçaris (smaller toucans) are yellow, crossed by one or more black or red bands, and the edges of the beak are saw-toothed. The toucanets have mostly green plumage with blue markings.
Toucans are frugivorous (fruit-eating), but will take prey such as insects and small lizards. However, the function of the beak in feeding is not known, since many other birds consume these foods without the giant bill to help them. One likely use is to specialize on prey such as nestlings and bats in treeholes. In this view, the beak allows the bird to reach deep into the treehole to access food unavailable to other birds.
They are arboreal and nest in tree holes laying 2–4 white eggs. The young hatch completely naked, without any down. Toucans are resident breeders and do not migrate. Toucans are usually found in pairs or small flocks.
The name of this bird group is derived from Tupi tucana, via French.
Species list
- Hooded Mountain Toucan,peace Andigena cucullata
- Andigena hypoglauca
- Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan, Andigena hypoglauca hypoglauca
- Andigena hypoglauca lateralis
- Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Andigena laminirostris
- Andigena nigrirostris
- Black-billed Mountain Toucan, Andigena nigrirostris nigrirostris
- Andigena nigrirostris occidentalis
- Andigena nigrirostris spylorhynchus
- Aulacorhychus albivitta
- Blue-throated Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus caeruleogularis
- Blue-banded Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis
- Violet-throated Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus cognatus
- Aulacorhynchus derbianus
- Aulacorhynchus haematopygus
- Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus haematopygus haematopygus
- Aulacorhynchus haematopygus sexnotatus
- Yellow-browed Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus huallagae
- Santa Marta Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus lautus
- Aulacorhynchus prasinus
- Black-throated Peruvian Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus prasinus atrogularis
- Aulacorhynchus prasinus chiapensis
- Aulacorhynchus prasinus cyanolaemus
- Aulacorhynchus prasinus dimidiatus
- Emerald Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus prasinus prasinus
- Aulacorhynchus prasinus stenorhabdus
- Aulacorhynchus prasinus virescens
- Aulacorhynchus prasinus volcanius
- Warner's Emerald Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus prasinus warneri
- Aulacorhynchus sulcatus
- Wagler's Toucanet, Aulacorhynchus wagleri
- Saffron Toucanet, Baillonius bailloni
- Pteroglossus aracari
- Black-necked Aracari, Pteroglossus aracari aracari
- Pteroglossus aracari atricollis
- Pteroglossus aracari vergens
- Pteroglossus azara
- Ivory-billed Aracari, Pteroglossus azara azara
- Pteroglossus azara flavirostris
- Brown-mandibled Aracari, Pteroglossus azara mariae
- Curl-crested Aracari, Pteroglossus beauharnaesii
- Pteroglossus bitorguatus
- Pteroglossus castanotis
- Pteroglossus castanotis australis
- Chestnut-eared Aracari, Pteroglossus castanotis castanotis
- Pale-mandibled Aracari, Pteroglossus erythropygius
- Fiery-billed Aracari, Pteroglossus frantzii
- Pteroglossus inscriptus
- Pteroglossus inscriptus humboldti
- Lettered Aracari, Pteroglossus inscriptus inscriptus
- Many-banded Aracari, Pteroglossus pluricinctus
- Stripe-billed Aracari, Pteroglossus sanguineus
- Pteroglossus torquatus
- Green Aracari, Pteroglossus viridis
- Ramphastos ambiguus
- Ramphastos ambiguus abbreviatus
- Black-mandibled Toucan, Ramphastos ambiguus ambiguus
- Choco Toucan, Ramphastos brevis
- Citron-throated Toucan, Ramphastos citreolaemus
- Cuvier's Toucan, Ramphastos cuvieri
- Red-breasted Toucan, Ramphastos dicolorus
- Ramphastos sulfuratus
- Ramphastos sulfuratus brevicarinatus
- Keel-billed Toucan, Ramphastos sulfuratus sulfuratus
- Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Ramphastos swainsonii
- Ramphastos toco
- Ramphastos toco albogularis
- Toco Toucan, Ramphastos toco toco
- Ramphastos tucanus
- Inca Toucan, Ramphastos tucanus inca
- Red-billed Toucan, Ramphastos tucanus tucanus
- Ramphastos vitellinus
- Ariel Toucan, Ramphastos vitellinus ariel
- Yellow-ridged Toucan, Ramphastos vitellinus culminatus
- Ramphastos vitellinus pintoi
- Ramphastos vitelliuns theresae
- Channel-billed Toucan, Ramphastos vitellinus vitellinus
- Guianan Toucanet, Selenidera culik
- Gould's Toucanet, Selenidera gouldii
- Spot-billed Toucanet, Selenidera maculirostris
- Tawny-tufted Toucanet, Selenidera nattereri
- Selenidera reinwardtii
- Langsdorff's Golden-collared ToucanetSelenidera reinwardtii langsdorffii
- Golden-collared Toucanet, Selenidera reinwardtii reinwardtii
- Yellow-eared Toucanet, Selenidera spectabilis
Toucans in advertising
- Toucans were used to advertise Guinness stout (using the slogan "See what toucan do"), and many collectibles such as postcards and models featuring Guinness toucans may be found.
- Toucan Sam is the mascot of Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal.
- Y107 in Nashville used a "Tookie Bird" as their mascot.
- There is a European phone company called Toucan. Toucan is part of IDT Telecom, a subsidiary of global telecoms provider IDT Corp.
Toucans in fiction
- A humorous derivation of the name of the bird features in David McKee's children's book "Two Can Toucan".
- Wulffmorgenthaler comic strip features a character named 'Toucan kid', who is an offspring of a human and a toucan.
- Tookie Tookie, George's pet Toucan from George of the Jungle.
- The character Lupe Toucan from My Gym Partner's a Monkey
External links
- List of Toucans
- Gallery of Toucans
- More information on Toucans
- Toucan videos on the Internet Bird Collection