Wild Side of Costa Rica
Toucan Better Than One : | |
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By |
Having grown up in North America, my exposure to tropical birds has obviously been very limited. In fact my entire knowledge of toucans came from "toucan Sam" on a cereal box, which I've discovered led to many misconceptions. Now I've found that there is in fact much more to this species than I imagined. |
42 different types of Toucans !
Not knowing better I was very surprised to find that there is not one, but 42 different types of Toucans, which inhabit continental tropical America. Of these, six can be found in Costa Rica. Toucans make up the family Ramphastidae of the order Piciformes (which also includes woodpeckers, jacamars, puffbirds and allies). This order are hole-nesting birds characterized by their feet, with the second & third toes facing forward, and the first and fourth backwards.
Two of the types of Toucan found in Costa Rica are of the large variety. The Keel-Billed Toucan (aka. Rainbow-Billed) and the larger Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan are mostly black. Their bodies also include colorful highlights such as a yellow chest and red fringes. The Keel-Billed Toucans with their large multi-coloured bill average 500 g and 47 cm, and are found in the upper levels of the forest. Like other Toucans they often flock in small groups (5-10) which came as another surprise to me as I had always pictured them as a solitary bird. In fact we encountered one group of 30-50 in one tree, possibly migrating, which took off in small groups in the same direction.
The Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan is similar in many aspects, however apart from being slightly larger, the most evident difference is their bill, which is yellow & maroon in colour. They average in size around 750g at 56cm in length.
The smaller members of the family !
© El Residente ARCR Administración S.A. San José, Costa Rica N.B. Like all information on the internet, this article may currently be incorrect or out of date.
The other smaller members of the family vary in size, and are just as brightly coloured, and as evident with their typically large bills. In Costa Rica these include the Collared Aracari, the Fiery-Billed Aracari, Yellow-Eared Toucanet, and the striking Emerald Toucanet which stands apart due to its green rather than black body. The toucanets average 29-36cm and 200g, which are slightly smaller then their Aracari cousins at 42cm and 240g.
Toucans are fruit eaters, and though their bills make them look front-heavy, they are in fact very light and strong. The length helps the birds to reach fruit on flimsy branches, which they toss up in the air and catch with amazing dexterity. Insects, spiders, lizards, snakes, small birds and eggs make up the balance of their diet.
Two to four eggs is the norm for Toucan females, and both sexes will help incubate the eggs until the young ones hatch 16 days after laying. Then both parents will continue to care for the young for six or more weeks. In the case of the Aracari, which often nest in groups, the young may stay with their parents nest for a year or more.
Of toucans Ogden Nash wrote:
The Toucan's profile is prognathous,
Its person a thing of bathos.
If even I can tell a toucan
I'm reasonably sure that you can.
… and this writer hopes you have the chance to as you journey through the forests of Costa Rica.
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