Toucans



The Toucan is a member of the Ramphastidae family, a group of birds located in the Neotropics. The word Toucan is taken from the Tupi word  tukana , via Portugese. There are around 40 different types of toucan between 5 genera, including the Aracari and Toucanets. Relatives of toucans include Barbets and Woodpeckers.

Appearance 

Toucans vary in size from the small Lettered Aracari, measuring at 11.5 inches (29 cm) from beak to tail and weighing in at 4.6 oz (130 g), to the large Toco Toucan, measuring 29 inches (63 cm) from beak to tail and weighing in at 1.5 lb (680 g). The body of a toucan, compared to many everyday birds such as crows, are short and stocky. Toucan's necks are short, just like their bodies, but have enough muscle to support the head. The head is also compact and muscly, quite squashed in with a small, barely visible neck supporting in most of these birds.. The bill, the trademark icon of a toucan, is actually quite light compared to the large size of it, generally measuring around half of the said animal’s body length. This is so because it is made up of bone struts with spongy keratin between each strut, making it both hard but flexible. It has been found that the beak provides temperature regulation for the toucan as the blood under the thin film of skin over the beak circulates all over the body. The beak also helps the toucan’s feeding method, as it sits in one spot and reaches all around, conserving energy. The tail vertebrae of a toucan are fused to the main body, a unique feature to this bird.



Habitat 

Toucans live in, and are native to, Central America and parts of the surrounding land. They thrive in the tropics and make their home in tree hollows, hollowed out naturally or by creatures such as woodpeckers.

 Diet

Toucans eat fruits and nuts mostly, but occasionally eat small insects. Toucans will also raid the nests of other birds, eating eggs. However, Toucans never eat their own eggs or that of their kin.

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Specimens

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">Genus Andigena: <span style="font-size:10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman";color:black"> Andigena cucullata (hooded mountain-toucan) Andigena hypoglauca (grey-breasted mountain-toucan) Andigena laminirostris (plate-billed mountain-toucan) Andigena nigrirostris (black-billed mountain-toucan)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">Genus Aulacorhynchus: Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis (blue-banded toucanet) Aulacorhynchus derbianus (chestnut-tipped toucanet) Aulacorhynchus haematopygus (crimson-rumped toucanet) Aulacorhynchus huallagae (yellow-browed toucanet) Aulacorhynchus prasinus (emerald toucanet) Aulacorhynchus sulcatus (groove-billed toucanet)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">Genus Baillonius: Baillonius bailloni (saffron toucanet)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">Genus Pteroglossus: Pteroglossus aracari (black-necked aracari) Pteroglossus azara (ivory-billed aracari) Pteroglossus beauharnaesii (curl-crested aracari) Pteroglossus bitorquatus (red-necked aracari) Pteroglossus castanotis (chestnut-eared aracari) Pteroglossus frantzii (fiery-billed aracari) Pteroglossus inscriptus (lettered aracari) Pteroglossus mariae (brown-mandibled aracari) Pteroglossus pluricinctus (many-banded aracari) Pteroglossus torquatus (collared aracari)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">P.t.sanguineus (stripe-billed aracari) P.t.erythropygius (pale-mandibled aracari)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:black">Pteroglossus viridis (green aracari) <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">Genus Ramphastos: <span style="font-size:10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman";color:black"> Ramphastos ambiguus (black-mandibled toucan) Ramphastos brevis (Choco toucan) Ramphastos cuvieri (Cuvier's toucan) Ramphastos dicolorus (red-breasted toucan) Ramphastos sulfuratus (keel-billed toucan) Ramphastos swainsonii (chestnut-mandibled toucan) Ramphastos toco (toco toucan) Ramphastos tucanus (red-billed toucan) Ramphastos vitellinus (channel-billed toucan)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">R.v.ariel(ariel toucan) R.v.citreolaemus(citron-throated toucan) R.v.culminatus(yellow-ridged toucan)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:black">Genus Selenidera: Selenidera culik (Guianan toucanet) Selenidera gouldii (Gould's toucanet) Selenidera maculirostris (spot-billed toucanet) Selenidera nattereri (tawny-tufted toucanet) Selenidera reinwardtii (golden-collared toucanet) Selenidera spectabilis (yellow-eared toucanet)

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<p class="MsoNormal">Citation

<p class="MsoNormal">http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/pulse/spring2005/cover_story.shtml

<p class="MsoNormal">http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/arquivos/artigo_galetti.pdf

<p class="MsoNormal">http://www.emeraldforestbirds.com/SpeciesList.htm

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