Toucan Facts

Nature is filled with colors that are exhibited through flowers, plants, animals, soil, trees, sky and many such things. One of the classic examples is the peacock, which has feathers filled with an array of colors. Next come parrots, conures, macaws and lorikeets. These birds display some of the spectacular color combination in the animal world. Toucans are also popular for such color combination, but the difference is that most of these birds display such flashy colors on their long beak, which is one of the main characteristic features of these birds. Did you know that the beak of a toucan can have a length that is around half the body length of these birds?

Interesting Facts about Toucans

Now you know that toucans are birds with huge beaks. They belong to the family Ramphastidae, which is composed of five genera (Andigena, Aulacorhynchus, Pteroglossus, Ramphastos and Selenidera) with forty species that may vary in size, colors, etc. The smallest among these species is Pteroglossus inscriptus, which is known as Lettered Aracari. These small toucans weigh around 130 grams and they have a maximum body length of around 12 inches. The largest toucan species is Ramphastos toco (Toco toucan) with a body weight of about 700 grams and a length of 30 inches. Toucans are said to be natives to Southern Mexico, certain parts of Caribbean islands and South America. Toucans habitat include the dense rainforests of these regions.

• As mentioned above, the characteristic feature of a toucan is its large, colorful beak with serrations. The beak, despite being large, is very light, as it is composed of air chambers and keratin.
• It is a common fact that most of the animals and birds use their colorful features to attract and woo mates. But, in case of toucans, this is not the case, though, they use the beak during mating rituals, which include tossing of food.
• In fact, these birds of the tropical rainforests, use their beak to ward off predators and for thermoregulation. Another use of this beak is to collect food, like, fruits from other branches.
• One of the interesting toucan facts is that there is no gender distinction as far as their beaks are concerned. Both males and females have almost similar beaks, but, in some species, females may have shorter beaks.
• Even though, toucan diet is mainly composed of fruits, it is not uncommon to find these birds feed on insects, lizards, bird eggs and nestling. Their beaks are of immense help in feeding and are found to be used for collecting fruits and removing their skin, ransacking the nests of other birds, etc.
• A toucan has a short compact body that is mostly black in color with few flashy markings. These colors are found near the neck, on the feathers, tail, etc.
• Toucans have a short wings, as they are not required to fly long distances. The tail is found to be rounded, with a length that may vary from half the body length to full body length.
• These birds have the ability to snap their tail backwards, towards the head. This is facilitated by the ball and socket joint formed by the three rear vertebrae that are fused together and are attached to the spinal cord. This is why these birds are found to sleep with the tails, near their heads.
• Toucans have short legs that are strong and fitted with claws that help them to perch on trees, on which, they spend most of their lifetime. They can be found solitary or in groups of up to six members.
• These rainforest birds are found to make their nests in tree holes made by other birds. Two to four eggs are laid at a time and the newborn toucans are found to emerge naked without any fine feathers, as seen in some other young birds. They lack the long beaks too.
• Toucans are noisy birds with a lifespan of around 20 years. Their predators include large birds, wild cats, humans, etc.

Hope you enjoyed reading these interesting toucan facts. These birds are so popular that some of the species are kept as exotic pets. If you want to know more about these birds, you may conduct an in-depth study about the different toucan species.