The toucan is a parrot and a symbol of the tropical climate due to its bright, memorable appearance. There are more than 30 species of these birds, and all of them have a memorable appearance. The most noticeable and prominent part of the toucan's body is its beak, which seems very massive and heavy to the observer. The beak consists of light bones and can reach a third of the size of the entire toucan. The bright orange beak with a red stripe on top and a large black spot at the end is what makes the bird's appearance so remarkable. These parrots have a large wingspan, but they fly poorly and often move with the help of their legs.
The main body color of the bird is black; it also has a peculiar white “collar”. The body length of an adult bird is up to half a meter. This bright bird lives in the tropical forests of South America, where it prefers the well-lit edges of moist forests. The toucan is also found in some cities in the tropical zone of the Earth - this bird is not afraid of people and even settles near them.
Toucans feed on a variety of plants and fruits. The long beak allows them to easily obtain food. Sometimes this parrot steals eggs from the nests of other birds and eats them. It also feeds on lizards and small snakes. To make it more convenient to get food, toucans often unite in small groups.
It is interesting that this bird, like many other parrots, can parody various sounds that are heard in the tropical forests. The toucan can also make a variety of ringing clicking sounds with its prominent beak.
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When young children try to draw birds, they often depict them with exaggerated features. And then huge wings, eyes or beaks appear in the picture. In the latter case, the kids may not be so wrong. It is possible that their drawing depicts an unusual bird - a toucan. This is what can often be seen in pictures of tropical forests. She is actually a symbol of such a climate.
But besides its fame as a tropical resident, the toucan is very, very interesting. Moreover, it is unique. So, how is the toucan bird so different from many of its feathered counterparts?
Helpful information
First, a little information from ornithology. Is there really such a unique bird of its kind, the toucan? The description of its unusual appearance should begin with the most remarkable part - the beak. And the toucan’s is truly outstanding. Both literally and figuratively. It would be more accurate to say, not from a toucan, but from toucans. Indeed, under this one name there are more than 30 species of birds belonging to 6 genera. That's what they're called - Toucans. Although, surprisingly, they belong to the order Woodpeckers. But of all these birds, the most charismatic representative - the great toucan - has gained popularity. It is also sometimes called "toko". And the toucan bird got its name from its cry, which practically reproduces this word.
Where does he live?
Of course, toko is not found in our area. The habitat of the toucan bird is thickets of tropical forests. She is a habitual resident of the entire territory of Central and South America - from the north of Mexico to the south of Argentina. Sometimes you can find the toko bird in the mountains - it can easily live at an altitude of up to 3000 meters above sea level. At the same time, the toucan does not like the very thicket, dark and gloomy. But light forest edges, groves not far from human habitation, palm tops are his favorite habitat. By the way, in countries located in the tropical zone, the toucan is found on the streets about as often as a pigeon in central Russia.
Voice
But unlike the dove, Toko is a very, very unusual representative of the feathered kingdom. The description of the toucan bird should begin with its voice. If you want to hear the real call of the jungle, just listen to Toko's singing. He masterfully knows how to not only shout his victory cry “tokano!”, but also parody many inhabitants of the tropics, and in such a way that any parrot will be jealous. Although, in general, this bird’s voice is far from angelic. In addition, he also knows how to make characteristic clicks with his beak. But there is a special conversation about him.
The beak is the pride of the bird
What everyone knows about the toucan bird is its simply gigantic beak. It can reach a size of 20 cm, which is approximately one third of the total size of the toko. He himself is approximately 60 cm in size - of course, we are talking about a large toucan, the largest representative of its species. The rest can be much smaller, and sometimes do not exceed the size of their most common relative - the woodpecker.
Despite its rather large size, the toucan's beak is very light. It represents a real achievement of engineering, only embodied not by man, but by nature itself. Firstly, it has serrations along the edges, similar to a saw blade, which help the toucan get its food. Secondly, it is very light - after all, unlike other birds, the toko does not have a monolithic crop, but a hollow one. Nature provides for the presence of cavities in it made of bone tissue and keratin membranes.
With all this, it is not only lightweight, but also very durable. And its remarkable nature makes the toucan noticeable even when this bird is silent. But Toko’s body is very clumsy - large, covered with stiff feathers. But any fashionista can imitate his color scheme. How is the toucan bird colored? You have seen her photo more than once in books. Outwardly, this is a strict bird, which seems to be dressed in a frock coat and a white shirt. This impression is left by the black plumage in the mass and the bright white collar of the toko.
But if you look closely, you will notice piquant features visible behind the severity - tail feathers red below, bright blue rims around the eyes, a tongue of a peculiar feathery shape. This coloring completely coincides with the character of the toucan - for all their bulkiness and massiveness, they are very curious and animated birds. And their habits also deserve a separate story.
Let's start with the fact that toucans fly very poorly. They prefer to sit in hollow tree trunks most of the day. They also build their nest there. Tokos are sociable birds and live in pairs or small groups. Sometimes they can also arrange their life in termite mounds or shallow holes on the river bank. Besides, Toko are simply wonderful parents. They take care of their offspring as a pair, hatching 2-4 chicks each, and only once a year.
Scientists have long wondered why a toucan needs such a large beak? It seems that they are not predators - they feed on fruits and small insects. They are also unlikely to be able to defend themselves from enemies - it is very light, and the toucan’s enemies are such that no beak is a hindrance to them - predators. Unless he can intimidate him. But, as it turned out, the unique shape, as well as the unusual tongue, are simply created for gnawing passion fruit or figs. And also for tossing berries - one person picks a fruit from a branch and throws it, and the second one catches it.
You may ask how does a toucan manage to sleep with such a large beak? Doesn't he weigh the relaxed bird down? No, everything is much more interesting - the anatomy of the toko was created by nature very thoughtfully - its head rotates perfectly 180 degrees, and its beak is comfortably located on its back between the wings. Moreover, at night the entire flock spends the night in one hollow. They take turns climbing in there forward with their backs, on which the beak is already placed. Then each toko presses his tail to his stomach, his head to his chest, wraps it all in his wings and turns into a cozy feathered ball.
Conclusion
Such an unusual bird is a large toucan. Very original and completely unique. In addition to their behavior and appearance, they are also very social. In fact, toucans resemble children - spontaneous, naive and very sociable. They are trusting, curious and easy to tame.
Toucan bird, photo, care and maintenance of toucans - 3.8 out of 5 based on 10 votes
Toucans (lat. Ramphastidae) are the largest representatives of the order Woodpeckers. There are 36 species. The body weight of toucans is 100 - 300 g. Toucans got their name due to the fact that representatives of one of their species shout something like “tokano!” Remarkable in appearance. The first thing that catches your eye is the disproportionately large, brightly colored beak. Its length is almost equal to the length of the bird's body. However, the beak itself, despite its size, is not as heavy as it seems due to the presence of air cavities in it. The beak of toucan chicks differs sharply from the beak of adult birds. In chicks it is flat, and the lower jaw is somewhat longer and wider than the upper; this makes it easier for adult birds to grab food. The tongue of toucans is long, its front part and edges are fringed, which gives it a feathery appearance. The skin near the corners of the mouth and around the eyes is not feathered and is brightly colored. Contrasting plumage color. Usually, against the main black background of most of the plumage, there are various bright areas. The legs and eyes of these birds are painted in bright colors. The tail of toucans is usually short, straight cut, and consists of 10 tail feathers.
In some species it is quite long and stepped, that is, the outer tail feathers are the shortest, those following them are longer, etc., and the middle pair of tail feathers are the longest. The short and wide wings have 11 primary flight feathers. The legs are strong and large, four-toed, adapted for climbing trees.
Due to their awkward large body and huge beak, toucans fly quite heavily. Having taken off, the bird gains altitude and then glides in the desired direction, describing wide circles in the air. These birds avoid flying long distances. Toucans spend all their time in the crowns of large trees, where they feed on fruits. Birds are curious, together they pursue birds of prey and gather in large flocks, trying to help a fellow wounded or captured by a predator.
Toucans are distinguished by their great gullibility and understanding, and therefore are easily tamed. In captivity they live for about 50 years.
The content is simple and does not require any skills from the owners.
Large enclosures are required to keep toucans, as they are large and active birds that need movement. In enclosures, toucans are sociable birds that get along well with other fruit-eating birds - turacos, medium-sized parrots, as well as pigeons and chickens. In the upper corners of the enclosure it is necessary to install branches along which the birds constantly move.
Having high intelligence, toucans easily become tame and enjoy communicating with their owners. In addition, oddly enough, toucans have amazing facial expressions, expressing surprise, pleasure or admiration with their whole body.
The main diet of toucans in the wild is fruit. The serrations on the beak help the bird to hold and open fruits. But they are also capable of eating spiders, some invertebrates, occasionally lizards and even small snakes, other people's chicks and eggs.
In captivity, the diet is as follows: meat, bread, porridge, a wide variety of fruits, various invertebrates, fish, reptiles, small mammals, seeds and juicy herbs, eggs, grapes, persimmons, pears, figs, melons, blueberries, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries. But you must adhere to the following rules: 1) The diet should be soft: no dry or hard seeds, nuts, etc. 2) Preferably foods with a low iron content (when feeding granulated food, it is recommended that the iron content is less than 100 ppm, and best of all - up to 70 ppm): boiled potatoes, yogurt, bananas, grapes, pears, figs, melon and others.
Since, due to excess iron content in the body of toucans, intoxication (hemotoxicosis) can occur. Causative agents of hemotoxicosis also include: stress and fruits, vegetables with a high content of citric acid (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, pineapples, tomatoes). It helps slow down the digestion process on the one hand, and on the other, promotes the absorption of iron. 3) During the breeding season, birds require more protein food - usually insects. It is better to use boiled egg white as a source of animal proteins. It is better not to get carried away with mice and meat - sometimes this leads to various bacterial infections. 4) It is recommended to cut all fruits and vegetables finely. Toucans swallow food whole.
The water should be settled, in a deep vessel, if possible large enough for the bird to bathe.
Infrequently, but it is still possible to reproduce these interesting species in captivity. Toucans are monogamous birds. They nest in tree hollows. But they cannot hollow them out themselves, so they occupy other people’s nests, slightly adjusting them to their large size. Eggs are laid on wood dust that covers the bottom of the hollow. The female lays one to four white eggs, which are incubated by both parents. The incubation period is different for different species: for small ones - about fourteen days, for large ones - up to twenty-one days. Both parents incubate the clutch. In small species, incubation lasts 2 weeks, in large ones a little longer. The chicks hatch completely helpless, naked and blind. They have a short upper beak and a long lower beak, with which the chicks easily pick up pieces of food thrown into the hollow. The wide mandible acts as a scoop or net. Despite the large feeding community, the chicks develop very slowly. Their eyes open only at the age of 20 days, and they completely leave the nest 7 - 8 weeks after hatching. They reach sexual maturity in the second (in small species) or third year of life.
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Who would have thought that the familiar woodpecker has a rather exotic close relative - the Great Toucan, also known as the Toko perceed.
Geography of residence
Large toucans live in eastern Bolivia, southeastern Peru, northern Argentina, Paraguay and southeastern Brazil, and tocos can also be found along the southern Amazon. Tokos can live both in the savannah and in the forest; most of all, they like to live in open spaces, forest edges, and coastal forests, but you will not find them in the dense forests of the tropics. Quite often, large toucans settle not far from human habitation among palm plantations; they are also big fans of getting close to orchards.
Large toucan in flight. 
Appearance
If you look at a photo of a toucan bird, your attention will immediately be drawn to its giant yellow-orange beak with black spots at the end. At first glance, the beak seems very heavy, but this is not so - inside it is hollow, consisting of numerous empty cavities and hard membrane partitions. The length of the beak can reach 20 cm, the length of the flat tongue is almost equal to the length of the beak. Young toucans have a slightly paler beak color and a shorter beak.
The beak is not the only decoration of the toko; they also have a very unusual plumage - the body of the bird is completely black, and the feathers of the chest, collar and upper part of the tail are white, but the lower part of the tail is painted red. The length of the bird is 52-67 cm, weight usually does not exceed 750 grams. Sexual dimorphism in birds is not pronounced; the only difference may be the weight of the birds - males are slightly larger than females.
Toucan in Iguazu Bird Park, Brazil. 
Great toucan at Copenhagen Zoo. 
Nutrition and behavior
Large toucans can eat both plant foods and chicks of other species, bird eggs, insects, and reptiles. However, the basis of the toucan’s diet is fruit, usually passion fruit and figs. In order to get the coveted fruit, the toucan uses its beak, with which it not only picks the fruit, but also peels the fruit.
In case of danger, the toucan can stand up for itself; its beak also helps in this; with it it can break the skull of any enemy.
It is very difficult to take a photo of a toucan bird during flight, since they fly poorly, only for short distances these birds mainly move by jumping from branch to branch.
Large beak of a large toucan. 
Reproduction
Quite often, toucans live in pairs; they often choose a hollow in a tall tree for their nest; if the hollow is too small, they can hollow out a larger one themselves. In rare cases, the nest of a large toucan can be found in holes on the shore or in termite mounds.
The female toko lays a clutch only once a year, usually containing up to four eggs. Both the male and female are involved in incubating future chicks. The chicks appear after two and a half weeks, completely blind and naked, their eyes will open only after three weeks, all this time both the male and the female continue to care for them. The chicks' plumage appears only a month after birth. Both parents zealously protect their offspring from the attacks of enemies.
After the chicks grow up and their nests fly out, and this will happen two to three months after birth, the tokos gather in groups and fly to open areas.
- Large toucans adapt remarkably well to life in captivity; if they are provided with proper care, the bird can live up to 50 years.
- The birds got their name because of their unusual singing; their cry resembles the sound of “torcano, torcano.”
- The beak acts as a kind of natural air conditioner, participating in cooling or heating the body, and performs this role both during flight and at rest. The more blood enters the blood vessels of the beak, the more heat the bird's body produces, so during sleep they hide the beak under the wing.
Other types of toucans
Toucans are a family of birds in the order Woodpeckers, in which there are many species. Here are photos of other types of toucans.
Brown-backed toucan. Costa Rica. 
Rainbow toucan. Costa Rica. 
Rainbow toucan in flight with prey. 
Green-billed or red-breasted toucan, Sao Paulo State Park, Brazil. 
Black-billed toucan. Handheld photo without flash through glass in poor lighting, Tallinn Zoo. 
White-breasted toucan, Orinoco Delta (Venezuela). 
White-breasted toucan, Orinoco Delta (Venezuela). Do you recognize? Yes, this is Raphael from the cartoon "Rio"! The one who said: “You are lucky: you know Raphael, and Raphael knows everyone here!” If you haven’t watched this colorful animation yet, be sure to watch it - you are guaranteed a lot of positive emotions!
Well, let's get to know Rafael better. This is a large toucan (lat. Ramphastos toco) or toko, which lives in Central and South America. It is considered the largest and most famous representative of the toucan family. Distributed in northern Bolivia, southeastern Peru, northern Argentina, eastern and central Paraguay, and southern and eastern Brazil.
Photo 2. 
Toko does not like dense tropical forests - he prefers open spaces, light and riverine forests, as well as forest edges. It can often be seen among palm plantations or near human habitation. In the countries where it lives, a large toucan will not surprise anyone - it is a quite common bird for local residents.
The same cannot be said about the population of the rest of the planet - wherever a large toucan appears, it is always surrounded by increased attention. The beak alone is worth it! Well, it’s hard not to notice Toko’s beak: bright orange with a black spot at the end and a red part on top, it simply amazes with its huge size - as much as 20 cm with a bird’s body length from 55 to 65 cm. It seems so heavy very difficult to wear. In fact, the beak is hollow inside: it consists of a large number of air chambers, which are separated from each other by thin bony partitions.
Photo 3. 
The beak of a large toucan is not only a decoration, but also a convenient means for obtaining food, as well as a reliable weapon against small four-legged predators. As soon as some impudent person tries to ruin a bird's clutch, he immediately risks losing an eye, or even ending up with a split skull thanks to a well-aimed blow from a vigilant toko.
Photo 4. 
But the plumage of a large toucan is no less beautiful: it seems to be dressed in a strict business suit. The bird's body is black, and the chest, collar and upper part of the tail are white, which gives the toko a rather impressive appearance. The lower part of the tail is colored red, around the eyes there is thin blue skin surrounded by denser orange - why not some respectable glasses!
Photo 5. 
Photo 6. 
They feed on passion fruit and figs, from time to time snacking on insects and even the eggs of their unwary relatives. In this case, the beak is used to break shells, peel fruits and catch insects.
Large toucans live in pairs or form small groups. The nest is made in a tall tree in a hollow, which they themselves hollow out or expand. Sometimes they nest in termite mounds or in holes along river banks. Chicks are hatched only once a year, but each region has its own breeding season. The female begins laying eggs a few days after mating.
Photo 7. 
There are 2-4 eggs in the clutch, which are incubated by both parents. After 17-18 days, their long-awaited chicks are born. Large toucans carefully care for their offspring and fiercely protect the chicks and themselves from attacks by anyone. So be careful if you meet a toco.
Photo 8. 
Great toucan, or toco(Ramphastos toco)
Class - birds
Order - woodpeckers
Family - toucans
Genus - toucans
Photo 9. 
The length of a large toucan is 55-65 cm, the length of its beak is almost 20 cm, its weight is on average 700 g, so it is the largest representative of the toucan family and the largest woodpecker. Males of the great toucan are larger than females, otherwise they do not differ in appearance.
The great toucan has an unusual plumage: its body is black, its collar, chest and upper part of the tail are white, and the lower part of the tail is red. Around his eyes he has thin blue skin, which is surrounded by orange, rougher skin. But its most prominent feature is its giant yellow-orange beak with a red part on top and a black spot at the end. It looks heavy, but like other toucans, it is hollow. The tongue of this species is almost as long as the beak and is very flat.
Photo 10. 
Toucans usually stay high on the tops of forest trees. There they gallop along the tops in search of food with greater agility than one might expect, or, resting, sit on the very tops of tall trees and emit cracking and whistling sounds from there. During the heat of the day, they hide in the foliage, and in especially hot forest valleys they appear only towards sunset.
They rarely go down to the ground, in all likelihood, only to drink or collect fallen tree fruits or seeds. Their flight is relatively good. They smoothly rush from one tree top to another, on the contrary, if they fly long distances, they move in short jerky jerks, and keep their heads slightly bent downwards, probably due to the disproportionate size of the beak.
Large toucans feed on fruits (passion fruit and figs), picking them from trees, sometimes insects and even the eggs and chicks of other birds. The long beak is used by large toucans to obtain food in hard-to-reach places, as well as to peel fruit and ward off predators. They usually live in pairs or small groups.
Photo 11. 
The toucan adapts well to life in captivity and has a good disposition. It is well tamed and you can be sure that the bird will never attack its owner or try to peck a person with its massive beak. Toucans are similar in character to cockatoos.
Large enclosures are required to keep toucans, as they are large and active birds that need movement. In aviaries, toucans are sociable birds that get along well with other fruit-eating birds - turacos, medium-sized parrots, as well as pigeons and chickens. In the upper corners of the enclosure it is necessary to install branches along which the birds constantly move.
Having high intelligence, toucans easily become tame and enjoy communicating with their owners. In addition, oddly enough, toucans have amazing facial expressions, expressing surprise, pleasure or admiration with their whole body.
Allowed foods low in iron include: boiled potatoes, bananas, pears, grapes, figs, melon, carrots. You can give rice porridge. This diet is due to the fact that with an excess of iron, the bird’s body is exposed to intoxication (hemotoxicosis). Toucans consume food by swallowing it whole. Therefore, before feeding, all products must be crushed. When toucans are feeding their young, protein foods should be included in their diet. It includes egg whites and insects (zoophobus, cricket or mealyworm). Boiled meat can also be given occasionally. It is necessary to monitor the quality of meat products to avoid various bacterial infections. Water must be present in the cage at all times - pre-filtered and settled water is suitable for drinking.
Life expectancy in captivity is up to 50 years.
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