Keel-billed+Toucan

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// Scientific name // Order:

=**__Husbandry Information__**=

Notes on Enrichment & Training


=__Programmatic Information__=

Potential Messaging


=__Acquisition Information__=

=__Comments from the Rating System__= >
 * Maryland Zoo in Baltimore: Typical toucan behavior - jumpy and mouthy, but overall a great animal.

=__Natural History Information__=

Range and Habitat
· Geographic range: Latin America between Colombia and Mexico · Preferred habitat: Lives almost exclusively in the upper rainforest canopy

Physical Description

 * Size:
 * Length: 17-22 in (42-55 cm)
 * Bill length:6- 8 in (15-20 cm)
 * Weight: 14-15 oz (400-430 g)
 * Sexual dimorphism: Males are typically larger than females
 * Physical description:
 * A large, perching bird characterized by its sizeable serrated beak, which can grow to be a third of the entire length of the bird.
 * Black feathers that may have a maroon tint cover most of the body. Red feathers are located on the rump, and bright yellow feathers cover the throat and sides of the head. Skin around the eyes may be green, yellow, or blue, while the feet are blue.
 * The bill is composed of lightweight keratin, and is predominantly green with a red tip and blue and orange highlights along the sides.

Life Cycle
· Wild: Unknown
 * Reproduction:**
 * Breeding season: Typically between spring and early summer
 * Populations in Panama breed during the dry season, while populations in Costa Rica breed in both the wet and dry seasons
 * Behavior:
 * Toucans are //monogamous//, which means that they establish a single, strong pair bond
 * Courtship involves a wide variety of visual and vocal displays. Some toucans will reinforce pair bonds by tossing and skillfully catching food.
 * Pairs build nests in small tree hollows at least 20 feet off the ground. They clear the hollow of all but a few chips of wood, and bring in fresh leaves that may act as insect repellent. Once the leaves become brown, they remove them from the nests. They also line the nest with regurgitated pits.
 * Incubation:
 * Lasts about 16-20 days
 * Both parents aid in incubation
 * Clutch size: 1-4 white eggs
 * Maturation:
 * Chicks are highly //altricial//, which means that they rely heavily on parental care
 * Typically fledge between 1 ½ to 2 months (45-60 days)
 * Toucans mature more slowly than most other birds, and require a great deal of parental care
 * Most toucans in the //Ramphastos// genus do not even gain feathers until at least 4 weeks of age
 * Lifespan:**

· Captivity: up to 18 years

Behavior

 * Activity:**
 * Diurnal
 * Highly social, typically living in groups of 6-12
 * Diet:**
 * Primarily frugivorous:
 * Mainly eats fruit, which they may peel or rend using their large bill
 * Any pits in the fruit will be regurgitated, and may be used to form a lining in the tree hollow nest
 * Toucans supplement their low- protein diet by preying on insects, small snakes and lizards, and the eggs and chicks of small perching birds
 * Food is generally swallowed by holding it in the tip of the beak, followed by a quick upwards flick and catch the forces food into the throat
 * Ecosystem relationships:**
 * Predators:
 * Chicks and eggs are hunted by a large number of predators, including snakes, hawks, eagles, monkeys, and mongooses
 * Adults are too large for many predators except for large hawks, eagles, and humans
 * Interspecies competitors:
 * //R. sulfuratus// is sometimes out-competed by its larger cousin //R. a. swainsonii//, the chestnut-mandibled toucan, while foraging. The larger toucan is able to follow the keel-billed toucans and push them away from any food source that they find.
 * Role/ Niche:
 * Toucans act as seed dispensers. When they swallow a large fruit, they will regurgitate the pit. Since each toucan forages over a wide range, this means that seeds are moved throughout the rainforest. Smaller fruit may also be swallowed whole, or it may be peeled and the bare seeds dropped to the floor.
 * Adaptations:**
 * The primary diet of a toucan—fruit—is low in iron, which has led to the development of an extremely efficient iron extraction system in the toucan’s digestive tract. Iron deficiency results in //anemia//, or a “thinning” of blood.
 * Toucans have //zygodactyl// feet, which means that their first and fourth toes point backward from their second and third toes. This gives them a better grip when perching, and assists them as they hop and slide from branch to branch.
 * The bright coloration probably helps the bird to camouflage in the bright, chaotic rainforest environment, or it may help toucans to differentiate between the various toucan species
 * A social lifestyle helps the animal keep more eyes and ears out for potential predators, and can also confuse any attackers when all the birds scatter
 * A toucan’s long beak aids them in many different ways
 * The large, bright beak is useful for scaring other birds, and may be used to clear out nests in order to steal the hollow or eat any eggs
 * It is long and serrated, and provides an effective deterrent to all but the largest predators
 * Because the beak is so long, the bird can stand on branch and pick fruit from an energy-efficient perching position
 * The beak is hollow and lightweight, which means it does not require much extra energy to lift in the air during flight

Threats and Conservation Status

 * Conservation Status and Threats:**
 * Listed on the IUCN Red List as Least Concern
 * Listed under appendix II of CITES
 * Though not endangered, it is considered a “look-alike” of other toucan species that are endangered. Appendix II limits the trade of listed species by requiring export and collection permits.
 * Threats:
 * The major threat to keel-billed toucans is deforestation. Rainforests are being cleared at a rate of about 115,000 square feet per second, which is about equal to 2 football fields. The forest is cleared mainly for subsistence and commercial farming and ranching. Not only does deforestation affect large animals such as toucans, it can also result in the extinction of hundreds of unique species of plants, insects, amphibians, and birds. The extinction of poorly understood plants is of particular concern, as many of these organisms may have unknown medicinal value.
 * Toucans are also affected by the pet trade. Because they are large, beautiful, and intelligent, many people view them as interesting pets. However, unregulated collection is considered unsustainable.
 * A minor threat is that of bushmeat hunting
 * Warming temperatures may be increasing this species’ range. As temperatures rise, mountain climates become more tolerable, opening up more habitats for this species.
 * Conservation efforts:
 * Historically, toucan chicks have been taken from the wild to serve as pets. In response, organizations and companies have been formed in order to hand-raise chicks specifically for the pet trade, which reduces the ecological impact of collection for the pet trade.
 * Rainforests are internationally recognized as important ecosystems. They provide unique chemicals that may be used in pharmaceuticals, the forests filter and produce oxygen, and they serve as immense //carbon sinks//, which means that they hold carbon dioxide and reduced the effects of climate change. Several large organizations, such as Rainforest Action Network and Rainforest Conservation Fun provide educational material and promote public awareness about rainforest conservation.

=__Did you know…__=
 * Keel-billed toucans are the national bird of Belize
 * Because it is so colorful, has a large beak, and occupies a similar habitat to those of parrots, many people believe that they are related species. In truth, toucans are more closely related to woodpeckers. Their physical and behavioral similarities to parrots are a result of //convergent evolution//, which results in ancestrally different animals developing similar adaptations in order to occupy a similar ecological niche.
 * The physical and behavioral similarities between toucans and hornbills are also a result of //convergent evolution//. In both species, living in hollows is an effective defense against predators, and long beaks help them to fight off predators.
 * Multiple toucans may roost in small tree hollows, resulting in the development of a unique “space saving” posture. Toucans bring their bill over their back and hide it under a wing, then flip their tail up, which results in the appearance of a small pile of feathers.

=__Photographs__=

=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

//When adding a new page, remember to add tags!//  · Size: o Length: 17-22 in (42-55 cm) o Bill length:6- 8 in (15-20 cm) · Weight: 14-15 oz (400-430 g) · Sexual dimorphism: Males are typically larger than females · Physical description: o A large, perching bird characterized by its sizeable serrated beak, which can grow to be a third of the entire length of the bird. o Black feathers that may have a maroon tint cover most of the body. Red feathers are located on the rump, and bright yellow feathers cover the throat and sides of the head. Skin around the eyes may be green, yellow, or blue, while the feet are blue. o The bill is composed of lightweight keratin, and is predominantly green with a red tip and blue and orange highlights along the sides.  · Wild: Unknown · Captivity: up to 18 years
 * //Activity Schedule: diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular//
 * //Continent of Origin//
 * //Diet Requirements: carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, etc.//
 * //General Habitat/Biome: deserts, forests, mountains, etc.//
 * Lifespan:**