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Toucan is the Brazilian name for a bird of the family, Ramphastidae, with approximately 42 different species of the bird. These peculiar birds belong to the order Piciformes, whose members have feet with the first and fourth toes reversed and are all cavity nester's. The toucan is an unusual looking bird, characterized by an enormous but light-weight bill, that has many useful qualities. Most species, posts a brilliant solid or multi-colored bill. They live in the tropical and subtropical forests of Central and South America, especially in the Amazon regions. Toucans are intelligent, curious and entertaining creatures.
Eventhough they do not have the ability to mimic speech, they are playful and can be taught to perform tricks, including catch. The most common toucans in the wild include, the Keel Bill, Too, and the Yellow Throated Toucan. Commonly available pet species include, the Too, Red Bill, Keel Bill and Channel Bill Toucans... The Toucan is an attractive neotropical bird, whose large slender body can be approximately 33 to 64 centimeters long.
They have rounded wings with a small tail. Their bill may be as long as their body and appear in any colorful variation. The bill of a Toucan may be black, blue, brown, green, red, white, yellow, or any combination of colors. Toucans use their colorful bill to attract their mate. Their broken pattern also allows the bird to camouflage itself among the panorama of the forest colors. The canoe- shaped bill of a Toucan appears to be heavy, but is actually light, containing many air pockets.
The edges of the bill are serrated, to allow the bird to skin fruit, drill wood, probe in the mud or tear flesh, as necessary. Inside the bill, is a long, narrow, feather-like tongue. The toucan can be easily found by listening for their loud croak, which can be heard up to half a mile away. Most species of toucans live in small flocks of generally 6 to 8 and sleep in hollow trees. When a toucan sleeps, they turn their head around and place their bill down the center of their back, then fold their tail over their head.
Most species of toucans mate once a year, nesting in a hollow tree. Although the nest is never lined, the female lays from two to four white eggs that rest upon a few chips at the bottom, or upon a pebbly bed of regurgitated seed of various sizes. The male and the female alternately incubate the eggs for about 15 days, until they hatch. Both parents care for the young in the nest for about 8 weeks. The young are born blind and open their eyes at around 3 weeks of age. The young usually fly from the nest at 43 - 50 days of age.
Toucans prefer to remain high in the trees and hop from branch to branch. In the jungle, toucans are primarily fruit eaters, they also feed on insects, lizards, snakes and occasionally eggs of smaller birds, to increase their protein intake. The birds snip off fruit with their large bill and snap back their head forcing the food into the back of their throat before gulping it down whole. They use their bill to dip water, snapping their head back, letting the water flow into their throat. In captivity, they eat rice, bread, potatoes, eggs, and meat.
The toucan faces a few natural predators including, birds of prey and snakes. Their colorful bill serves to protect them from small prey as it is often frightening to other birds and small animals. Eventhough they are not susceptible to many predators, they are vulnerable to certain diseases when exposed and when under stress. They are particularly susceptible to bacterial diseases such as E. Coli, salmonella, and yersinia, which are all easily treated. These diseases commonly appear after contact with rodents that have contaminated the toucans food supply with their feces and urine.
Toucans are also susceptible to internal parasites such as roundworms, pro ventricular worms and capillary worms, all of which can cause death. There are several species of Toucans distinguished mainly by beak size, body size, and coloring. The Kill Bill possesses a few unique qualities. It grows to about 20 inches, and has a banana shaped bill that can be up to one third the size of its body. Its body is black with bright yellow bib and cheeks. Its rump is white and under tail is a brilliant red.
This bird displays a rapid heavy flapping of the wings when flying and calls with a creek creek sound, similar to a frog. Its bill encompasses the entire front of its head and is green with a bright orange blaze on the side, red on the tip of the upper mandible and blue on the lower tip of the mandible. It is one of the largest species of the Toucan. The Yellow-Throated Toucan has a black body with a yellow throat and a red rump. His beak is black with a red tipped mandible with white accents on the sides. The tail is nearly square.
The Too Toucan can grow to 25 inches long. His beak is deep orang with a large black spot near the tip. The eye surrounded by a bare orange space and the plumage is black except for the white throat edged beneath with red. The tail is nearly square.
The most outstanding feature of this species of birds is its bill, which is enormous and brightly colored. The huge golden-yellow bill is constructed of a honey comb of bony material. This bird has strong short legs with large scales.
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