- Ramphastos toco
Identification
55-65cm (21¾-25½ in)
- Black body
- White throat, chest and uppertail coverts
- Red undertail coverts
- Blue skin around the eye encircled by bare, orange skin
- Bill
- Very large
- Yellowish-orange (reddish-orange on lower mandible and culmen)
- Black base
- Large black spot on the tip
Distribution
South America: found in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized:[1]
- R. t. toco - The Guianas and northeast Brazil
- R. t. albogularis - East and south Brazil to Paraguay, north Bolivia and north Argentina
Habitat
Semi-open woodland, savanna, and areas with scattered trees, plantations, forest-edge and wooded gardens. It is mainly a species of lowlands, up to 1750 m.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes fruit, insects, and bird eggs and nestlings. However, fruit seems the major source of energy. It seems to prefer lipid rich fruits when available but is able to survive most of the year by eating fruits of figs.
Breeding
The nest is a cavity high in a tree, excavated by the parents. It also nests in holes in earth-banks and termite-nests. The 2-4 eggs are incubated by both adults for 17-18 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Ragusa-Netto 2010. Ornitologia Neotropical 21:59-70
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Toco Toucan. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Toco_Toucan
External Links
