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 Toco Toucan (Photo: Chris Collins) |
Green Aracari (Photo: David Fernandes) |
Toucans and Barbets (Ramphastidae) of Guyana
Identification
Toucans are tropical forest birds known for their ludicrously large and strikingly colored bills, and Guyana has nine species of the birds, including the smaller Aracaris and Toucanets.
The average body size of toucans is 25 inches (63.5 cm), but they range from the small Lettered Aracari at 11.5 inches (29 cm) to the large Toco Toucan, whose body measures 29 inches (63 cm). Toucans have compact bodies, rounded tails that can equal the entire length of the body, and short, thick necks. Because toucans are not long-distance fliers their wings are relatively small, and their legs are strong and short.
People the world over recognize toucans by their oversized, colorful bills that have an average size of 7.5 inches (19 cm) – often more than half of their body size. While most toucans don’t show any sexual dimorphism in their coloration, the bills of females can be shorter and a bit straighter than those of males.
While they are the most recognizable trait of toucans, the birds’ giant bills are not fully understood. The bills, while large, are composed of a honeycomb of bone and contain a lot of air, making them quite light. This means that its visible size may act as a deterrent to predators, but were it put to the test, it wouldn’t stand up very well as a weapon.
The bills, however, are quite useful in feeding, as they allow the birds to remain in one spot and reach and skin the fruits that make up the majority of their diet. Both sexes also use their bills to catch and toss fruit during a mating ritual. Young toucans are born with small bills that become full size after several months.
As they are very vocal birds, toucans are often identified first by their calls, which can travel a distance of a half-mile through the forest.
Behavior
Toucans are arboreal and typically live in pairs or small flocks. The birds do not migrate and nest in pre-existing tree holes. A toucan’s annual clutch usually consists of two to four eggs, and the parents share the duties of caring for them.
Toucans primarily survive on a diet of fruit (giving them an important role in seed dispersal in the process), but will also consume insects, small lizards, and the eggs and young of smaller birds.
Habitat
Toucans and Barbets are distributed throughout tropical America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Most toucans are found in lowland tropical forests, dry savannahs, and seasonal wetlands.
Within Guyana
Guyana’s nine species of Toucans and Barbets can be found throughout the country. The characteristic yelping call of the White-throated and Channel-billed Toucans can be heard throughout Guyana's rainforests, from the coast to the interior, and visitors see them often. Sought-after Guiana Shield endemic species, the Guianan Toucanet and Green Aracari, can often be found along the road while traveling south from the Iwokrama River Lodge. The Toco Toucan, the largest and best-known toucan species, is found in semi-open savannahs; locations such as the forest near the village of Aranaputa and along the Rupununi River near Karanambu Ranch are amongst the most reliable places to find the bird.
Toucans, Barbets of Guyana Checklist (From A Field Checklist of the Birds of Guyana, 2nd Edition, Smithsonian Institution)
Toucans, Barbets (Ramphastidae)
- Black-spotted Barbet (Capito niger)
- Chestnut-tipped Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus derbianus)
- Green Aracari (Pteroglossus viridis)
- Black-necked Aracari (Pteroglossus aracari)
- Tawny-tufted Toucanet (Selenidera nattereri)
- Guianan Toucanet (Selenidera culik)
- Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus)
- Red-billed Toucan (Ramphastos tucanus)
- Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco)
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