Keel-billed Toucans

Toucan Information ... Toucan Photo Gallery ... Toucan / Softbill Products

The Keel-Billed Toucans(Ramphastos sulfuratus) - also known as Sulfur-breasted Toucans or Rainbow-billed Toucans - are colorful South American toucans with distinctive large bills that they playfully use for "dueling" with each other or throwing fruit into each other's beaks.

Keel-billed Toucans are rarely seen alone. They typically live in small flocks of six to twelve and form family structures within their groups.

Several of them may share one tree cavity for roosting and sleeping in. To accommodate several birds in cramped quarters, they have learned to tuck their tails and beaks under them to conserve space. They are poor flyers and mostly move around by hopping around trees.

It is the national bird of Belize.

Distribution / Range

Keel billed toucans can be found from Southern Mexico to around Venezuela and Colombia; where they inhabit lowland rainforests, roosting in the canopies of tropical, subtropical and lowland rainforests.

Description

Keel-billed toucans measure 17 to 22 inches (42–55 cm). The large, brightly colored bill averages around 5-6 inches in length - but can be up to one third of its body length.

The plumage of the Keel-billed toucan is mainly black with a yellow neck and chest. They have blue feet and red feathers at the end of their tails. The bill is mostly yellowish-green with a red tip and orange on the sides.

Diet / Feeding

Their natural diet consists primarily of a wide range of different fruits; thus they play an extremely important ecological role as vectors for seed dispersal of fruiting trees.

Their bill, surprisingly dexterous, allows them to eat a large variety of fruit that might not otherwise be reached. When eating the fruit, Keel-billed toucans will use their bill to pick the fruit, and then toss their heads back and swallow the fruit whole.

Toucans get most of the water they need from the fruits they eat. Although captive birds need access to fresh water at all times -- especially since their diet includes pellets. They also require opportunities for bathing.

In the wild, they will also feed on bird eggs and occasionally small animals (including smaller birds and their nestlings, lizards and other small prey). During the breeding season, in particular, they will take large amounts of insects for protein.

Captive toucans are thriving on a diet of high-quality, low-iron pellets and fresh fruits. Pellets should make up about 50% of their diet - the other half being fresh fruits. They should be fed plenty of fresh fruits, such as papayas, cantaloupes and other melons, berries, grapes, apples and bananas. (Papayas in particular are amongst their favorites.) The fruits should be chopped up into bite-sized pieces (about 0.5 inch on each side). Any seeds (such as found in papaya or melons) should be removed as they can cause intestinal problems.

Toucans have frequently been observed throwing their heads back when eating small fruits, allowing the fruit to roll into their throats before swallowing.

Please be aware that certain dietary components may increase the storage of iron, including Vitamin C, ascorbic acid (citrus fruit) and sugar. Their liver accumulates too much iron resulting in iron storage disease, which is a common and serious health problem with toucans.

Since citric acid facilitates the absorption of iron, Jerry Jennings, President / Director of Emerald Forest Bird Gardens strongly recommends "against feeding any citrus fruit at all - not even in moderate amounts." Fruits high in citric acid are, for example, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, pineapple, limes and tomatoes.

Red meat or any other meat should not be fed either (high in iron). He states that the iron in their diets comes mainly from the pellets they are fed, so low iron pellets should be provided. Jerry Jennings feeds "Mazuri because it is both low in iron and high in betacarotenes, and the quality control Mazuri practices is the best." (Should be available in better bird stores, as well as online.)

If Mazuri isn't available in your area, a good quality formulated (low-iron) softbill food (in addition to plenty of fresh fruit) should be fed. It is important that the formulated diet does not contain propylene glycol - a liqui

Personality

Unlike the popular parrots, captive toucans cannot learn to talk. On the bright side, they are also much quieter. Generally, they are friendly and easily tamed. 

They are fairly long-lived with a lifespan around 20 years.

Breeding / Nesting

The mating ritual is a fun-loving affair for toucans, as they throw fruit to one another.

Their nests are constructed from palm tree logs and are not lined.

The two to four shiny white eggs that are laid each year rest on a few wood chips created while enlarging the opening or on various kinds of regurgitated seeds collected for this purpose. Parents share equally in incubation duties, but rarely sit on the nest for more than an hour at a time and the eggs are often left uncovered. Both parents share in feeding fruit to the babies for up to 8 weeks.

After 16 days the nestlings are born blind, with no trace of down on their pink skin. The bill is unremarkable until about 16 days old when it takes on the distinguishing features of the toucan, and requires up to four months to develop fully. Feathers begin to expand at 4 weeks.

Babies have pads on their elbows that protect their feet by keeping them elevated until they fledge. The young fledge when they are 40 to 42 days old.

Breeding in captivity requires attention to a number of details. Even successful breeders report rates as low as 30% for the incubation of eggs.

Calls / Vocalizations

Their croaking call sounds like "RRRRK".

Captivity

The active toucans require large, planted flights. Aracaris are generally docile and can be kept with smaller birds -- but not birds so small that they could be considered as prey by these large birds, such as finches. Breeding pairs are best kept alone.

Captive birds may breed in nest boxes with a concave bottom; however, they generally prefer natural nests constructed from palm tree logs, which allows them to dig their nest chambers deeper.

Their eggs are white and elliptical shaped. The young fledge when they are 40 to 42 days old.

Jerry Jennings, President / Director of Emerald Forest Bird Gardens provides the following input:

"Toucanets and Aracaris are far easier to breed than the large toucans and they are pretty close to being equal. I would rank them from easiest to more difficult as follows: Crimson Rump Toucanets, Guyana Toucanets, Green Aracaris, Emerald Toucanets, Ivory Bill Aracaris, Collared Aracaris, Curl Crested Aracaris, Chestnut Eared Aracaris, and Saffron Toucanets.

I have other small species that have not bred at all, but I recently acquired them and only have a pair or two of each, so it is too early to know how they will do. The Chestnut Ears have been the greatest challenge because they scramble their eggs and thus you must pull them for artificial incubation as soon as they are laid. Then they are the most difficult to hand raise from day one.

The Crimson Rumps, Guyanas and Greens are the easiest in that order I have never had mate aggression in the Curl Crested, Ivory Bill, Chestnut Ears or Crimson Rumps. I have had mate aggression in Emeralds several times and once in Guyanas.

They all require the same space. The smallest breeding flight I have used was 4' x 10' x 6 feet high and the flights I currently use are 8' x 12' x 8 feet high and the newest flights are 8' x 16' x 8 feet high.

They need the proper diet, a nest log and the pairs must be compatible.

I would start with the easiest, so when you have babies you will feel a sense of accomplishment and want to continue. If you start with a difficult species you will have much less luck and may become discouraged." (Source: Jerry Jennings, President / Director of Emerald Forest Bird Gardens)

HOW HEAVY IS THAT BILL, TOUCAN, AND WHAT DO YOU EAT WITH IT?

Surprisingly light for its size, in some larger species the bill is equal in length to the body size. The neck is strong and short to help the bird with balance.

The bill's structure is formed by a highly organized matrix of thin criss-crossed bony 'rods', filled-in with a spongy form of keratin, creating a horny sheath (similar to fingernails) with serrated edges resembling teeth designed for tearing fruit, the principal component of the diet.

The bill is quite weak in the sense that it can not bite, but it is so incredibly strong that some aircraft have been designed following the principles of its construction.

The thin, feather-like grey tongue extends to the end of the bill which is otherwise hollow. The feathering effect exposes more taste-buds, enhancing the importance of taste to the toucan.

Researchers have noted multiple benefits of toucan's bill:

• It is a very efficient thermo-regulation system, serving as 'air-conditioning'.
• The long reach aids in gathering food, with minimum energy expenditure.
• It intimidates other birds, allowing the toucan to plunder their nests.
• It can reach into areas unavailable to other birds.
• It is unlikely that the bill's coloring or size is related to mating as female and male toucans have similar markings, although the females' bills are usually a bit shorter and straighter.
• It does play a role in the mating ritual as the pair throw choice bits of fruit to one another.
• Toucans fence with their bills and wrestle, possibly to establish hierarchy within a group.
• It is theorized that subtle distinction in bill markings help individuals identify one another.
• The bill reaches fruit on branches that might not be able to support the bird's weight. Berries and seeds are collected with the tip of the bill and then flipped into the throat by tossing the head.
• Toucans supplement their diet with insects, small lizards, eggs, and the nestlings of other birds. This extra protein is required during breeding season.
• Toucans in captivity must be fed a diet specific to the requirements of their species which make them difficult to breed and raise, as they are subject to health problems such as hemotomacrosis. Many breeders do not support them being kept as pets as the current supply in captivity is not enough to sustain the demand (for zoos and other such venues) and this increases them being harvested from the wild.

(Please scroll up for in-depth information on dietary requirements)

TOUCAN TRIVIA

• Tucana is a constellation in the southern sky.


• Several types of aircraft are named after the toucan.


• Many indigenous peoples consider toucans as conduits between the living and the spirit worlds.


• Ecologicval Importance: Toucans serve an important ecological role as they disperse the seeds of the fruit consumed.


• Physical Characteristics:
  • Wings are relatively small, suitable only for short distance flights.
  • The bills
    • ... can be solid black, blue, brown, green, red, white, yellow, or can be colored patterns.
    • ... are not strong enough to bite or destroy objects.
    • ... Red Breasted Toucan has the smallest bill of the large toucans and is commonly seen in the rain forests of Brazil and Argentina. This writer once observed one flying overhead on the Brazilian side of Foz de Iguacu.
  • Bright plumage serves as camouflage in the colorful rain forest canopies.
  • Body length ranges from the smallest species at 7 inches to over 2 feet.
  • Size: Red Bill Toucan and Swainson Toucan tie for second place behind Toco Toucan for size, and are only slightly smaller.
  • Tails vary in length from equalling half the length to the whole length of the body, according to species.


• Predators include humans, large birds of prey and wild cats, particularly jaguars.


• Nest Predation: Eggs and nestlings are subject to plunder by all sorts of animals, especially snakes and other birds.


• Lifespan: Toucans can live 12-20 years, depending upon species; larger toucans have lived up to 25 years in captivity.


• Personality:
  • Toucans are very intelligent and trainable, and can even be trained to go potty only in their cages.
  • They are friendly and playful.


• Captivity:
  • Toucans were first successfully bred in captivity in the United States in 1977.
  • All large black toucan species have been in captivity in the United States at one time or another.
  • Today the Yellow Ridged and Black Mandible are absent from US collections, with the Red Breasted and the Ariel being quite rare.

High Quality Species Photos, Videos and/or Articles Contributions are welcome! Click here to upload articles and images.*EDIT***

Please Note: The images on this page are the sole property of the photographers (unless marked as Public Domain). Please click on the image links to contact photographers directly for any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you.

The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!