Toucans from lowland Peru (1 Viewer)

[Thibaud]

Y'all probably already know what this about, since there's only one species pair in Peru that could cause confusion!

White-throated Toucan is very common in the lowlands of Paujil, with its calls echoing throughout the day.
However, I've never really gotten the calls of the Channel-billed to stick in my mind. I may have heard them a few times, but written them off as Violaceous Jays.

Now, nearly every toucan I saw was a singing White-throated (cf the first three photos).
But this last one, seen on the same day as the other 3, struck me as having a really short bill, though of course, that one was quiet (Murphy's law)! So what say the experts? Is the bill in fact short enough to be sure it's Channel-billed, or could it still be a "nasally-challenged" female White-throated?

As always, many thanks in advance.

T

 

[Andy Adcock]

The literature has them as 'virtually identical and best distinguished by voice', ........

 

[THE_FERN]

The literature has them as 'virtually identical and best distinguished by voice', ........

Although it is often possible to see the "channel" along the top of the bill in my experience (not seeing it here). But yes voice is good

 

[njlarsen]

I was trying to figure out which part of Peru was referenced, but the only reserve I could find with the name of Paujil was in Colombia. So where is this?

Niels

 

[Thibaud]

I was trying to figure out which part of Peru was referenced, but the only reserve I could find with the name of Paujil was in Colombia. So where is this?

Niels

Sorry Niels, El Paujil is the lowland sector of the Yanachaga Chemillén NP, in the center of the country, where I've been since the beginning of the year.

Andy, birds of Peru has "almost indistinguishable from White-throated Toucan in plumage, but slightly smaller, with relatively shorter bill. [...] male Channel-billed approaches female White-throated in bill length".
That's why I added the first three photos, as the last one struck me as having a different profile based on the clearly shorter bill. But then looking at pics of both species on eBird (assuming they're all correctly IDed), there does appear to be some overlap...

 

[njlarsen]

This should be a video of a channel-bill from Peru. How far from your area I am not sure. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/2...9.2125807172.1606353529-1598864267.1582678996

Niels

 

[THE_FERN]

I had a look in birds of Northern s. am. and the proaves Colombia guide. NSAM no help: proaves notes voice and bill channel. If you look at the "headline" ebird pics for channel-billed you should see the channel in all but about one. Compare those with yours and I hope you'll agree yours don't have it. I would expect it to be visible in images of this clarity.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I had a look in birds of Northern s. am. and the proaves Colombia guide. NSAM no help: proaves notes voice and bill channel. If you look at the "headline" ebird pics for channel-billed you should see the channel in all but about one. Compare those with yours and I hope you'll agree yours don't have it. I would expect it to be visible in images of this clarity.

I thought the same but in many images online, pics labelled as Chanelled, you can't see it so not sure how reliable that is?

 

[THE_FERN]

I thought the same but in many images online, pics labelled as Chanelled, you can't see it so not sure how reliable that is?

I don't know if there are systematic studies but I've seen it in the field on birds verified by call.

 

[Thibaud]

I noticed the same as Andy, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of those were misidentified.

I'll keep looking for my Channel-billed then!

Thanks!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I noticed the same as Andy, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of those were misidentified.

I'll keep looking for my Channel-billed then!

Thanks!

I assume you didn't have a way to play the call at the timre?

 

[Thibaud]

I assume you didn't have a way to play the call at the timre?

Well I had my trusty JBL speaker, but the bird was only in the tree long enough for me to take a couple shots, and then it took off.
But I feel a bit silly now, I have to admit I'd never considered using playback on the big toucans, though I've had some success using it with Aulacorhynchus toucanets. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm in the lowlands!