Saffron toucanet

Pteroglossus bailloni

Photo by Celi de Medeiros (Flickr)

Common name:
saffron toucanet (en); araçari-banana (pt); toucan de Baillon (fr); tucán banana (es); goldtukan (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Ramphastidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Brazil, from southern Bahia, through eastern Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and into São Paulo, Paraná and northern Rio Grande do Sul, and also across the border into eastern Paraguay and extreme north-eastern Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 35-40 cm long and weigh 130-170 g.

Habitat:
The saffron toucanet is found in moist subtropical forests, particularly Atlantic forests on slopes and beside streams, also using forest edges and second growths. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.550 m.

Diet:
They forage on the forests canopy, in pairs or small groups, mainly taking fruits such as
Cecropia, Ficus, Euterpe, Eugenia uniflora and Melia azedarach, which are supplemented with insects during the breeding season. Occasionally, may also hunt fledglings of smaller bird species, such as woodpeckers.

Breeding:
Saffron toucanets breed in December-July. They are possibly monogamous, with both sexes excavating out an old woodpecker nest where the female lays 2-4 white eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 16 days and the chicks fledge 40-42 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. However, a moderately rapid and on-going population decline is suspected owing to habitat loss, hunting and capture for the cage bird trade. Mountain forests have suffered less destruction than adjacent lowland forest in Brazil, but isolated forests in the north of its range have been reduced by the expansion of pasture and cultivation, and fires spreading from cultivated areas. Cage bird trade and hunting are apparently minimal in Argentina, but the saffron toucanet is still hunted in Paraguay.

Emerald toucanet

Aulacorhynchus prasinus

Photo by Larry Thompson (Discover Life)

Common name:
emerald toucanet (en); tucaninho-de-nariz-amarelo (pt); toucanet émeraude (fr); tucán esmeralda (es); laucharassari (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Ramphastidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico down to north-western Venezuela and Colombia, and south along the Andes to central Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 29-38 cm long and weigh 120-240 g.

Habitat:
The emerald toucanet is mostly found in mountain rainforests and cloud forest, also using forest edges, second growth adjacent to forests, scrublands, plantations, pastures and rural gardens. They are mostly present at altitudes of 900-3.700 m, but can visit lowland areas down to sea level.

Diet:
They eat a wide variety of fruits as well as terrestrial invertebrates and small vertebrates. Some of the fruits taken include Nectandra spp., Ocotea spp., Phoebe spp., Cestrum spp. and Solanum spp. They hunt a wide range of invertebrates, such as spiders, centipedes, grasshoppers, bugs, beetles, butterflies, flies, and wasps, and also bird nestlings and eggs, small lizards and snakes.

Breeding:
Emerald toucanets breed in January-July. They are monogamous and nest in either a natural tree holes or old woodpecker nests, which is they enlarge in order to get inside. The nest is located 2-30 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about 16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 42-45 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction, particularly due to forest clearance for coffee plantations.

Collared aracari

Pteroglossus torquatus

Photo by Ricardo Pasos Enríquez (National Geographic)

Common name:
collared aracari (en); araçari-de-colar (pt); araçari à collier (fr); arasarí acollarado (es); halsbandarassari (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Ramphastidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico to northern Colombia and north-western Venezuela.

Size:
These birds are 39-41 cm long and weigh 190-275 g.

Habitat:
The collared aracari is mostly found on the mid and upper canopy of tropical rainforests, but also in swamp forests, second growths, plantations and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on a wide range of fleshy tree fruits such as palm nuts, figs, snake fingers Cecropia sp. and papaya, but also the eggs and chicks of other birds and insects.

Breeding:
Collared aracaris are monogamous and may mate for life. They breed in January-May and nest in a natural cavity in a tree, or in a large woodpecker nest, 6-30 m above the ground. The female lays 3 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 15-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and also by up to 6 helpers which are most likely siblings from previous broods. They fledge 6 weeks after hatching but continue to live with the family group, which may count up to 15 birds.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 0,5-5 million individuals. The population is suspected to be declining throughout its range as a result of ongoing habitat destruction through deforestation of their rainforest habitats and also hunting, especially for the cage bird trade.

Keel-billed toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

(Photo from Online Utility)

Common name:

keel-billed toucan (en); tucano-arco-íris (pt); toucan à carène (fr); tucán pico iris (es); fischertukan (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Ramphastidae

Range:

This species is found in Central America, from southern Mexico to northern Colombia and north-western Venezuela.

Size:

These birds are 42-55 cm long. The males weigh 360-550 g, while the smaller females weigh 275-480 g.

Habitat:

The keel-billed toucan is mostly found in lowland rainforests, but also in some rainforests at higher altitudes, mangroves, tropical dry forests and second growths. They can also be found is pastures and plantations. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.600 m.

Diet:

They mainly feed on the fruits and seeds of various tropical trees, namely Cercropia,  Inga, Protium, Ficus, Rheedia, Alchornea costaricensis, Didymopanax morototoni, Astrocaryum polystachyum, Iriartea exorrhiza, Virola panamensis, Cupania seemanni, Cnestidium rufescens, Salacia, Swartzia cubensis and Ehretia tinifolia. They also take snakes, small lizards, insects such as beetles, cicadas and ants, and the eggs and nestlings of passerine birds.

Breeding:
Keel-billed toucans breed in March-June. The nest is a natural tree cavity or an old woodpecker nest, lined with  wood chips and green leaves. The nest is about 7 m above the ground. The female lays 1-4 dull white eggs with irregular pitted grooves extending lengthwise along the egg. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 16-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 45-60 days after hatching. They reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline locally owing to taking of young as pets and unsustainable levels of hunting, but the keel-billed toucan is not considered threatened at present.

Black-necked aracari

Pteroglossus aracari

Photo by Fabiano Guimarães (Aves da Zona da Mata Mineira)

Common name:
black-necked aracari (en); araçari-de-bico-branco (pt); araçari grigri (fr); arasarí cuellinegro (es); schwarzkehlarassari (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Ramphastidae


Range:
This South American species is found from eastern Venezuela and through the Guyanas, into Mato Grosso and Goiás in central Brazil. There is also a disjunct population in south-eastern Brazil.


Size:
These birds are 35-46 cm long and weigh 180-310 g.


Habitat:
Black-necked aracaris are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist lowland forests, but also in dry forests, dry savannas and even in plantations. They are mostly found from sea level up to an altitude of 600 m but can sometimes be found as high as 1.000 m above sea level.


Diet:
They are mostly frugivorous, taking a wide variety of forest fruits, but will also hunt some insects.


Breeding:
The black-necked aracari breeds in February-August. They nest in tree hollows, often using old woodpecker nests. The nest is usually 7-12 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 16-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 40-42 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although he global population size has not been quantified, it is described as common. The south-eastern subspecies P. a. vergens is suspected to be in decline due to severe habitat fragmentation caused by farming and urbanisation. The species is also hunted throughout its range but it is not considered threatened at present.

Toco toucan

Ramphastos toco

(Photo from Papagaios & Cia)

Common name:

toco toucan (en); tucanuçu (pt); toucan toco (fr); tucán grande (es); riesentukan (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Ramphastidae

Range:

This South American species is found in much of the northern and central parts of the continent, from Suriname and the French Guyana, through Brazil, Bolivia and Peru and into Paraguay and northern Argentina.

Size:

The largest of the toucans, these birds are 55-65 cm long and weigh 600-760 g.

Habitat:

Toco toucans are most commonly found in dry semi-open areas, which include regions such as woodland, savanna, cerrado, plantations, and other regions that consist of scattered trees. They are often found in gallery forests, along river corridors. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.750 m.

Diet:

They mostly eat fruits from trees such as genipapo Genipa americana, agarrapolo Ficus luschnathiana and ambay pumpwood Cecropia pachystachya. These birds also take insects and other invertebrates, frogs, small reptiles and sometimes raid the nests of other birds for eggs and chicks, including those of the endangered hyacinth macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus.

Breeding:

Toco toucans breed in October-December. They nest in a tree cavity, either a pre-existing hole or a hole excavated by the parents high in the forest canopy. There the female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 17-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 6-8 weeks after hatching. Each pair produces just 1 broods per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to hunting pressure and the collection of young birds for the pet trade.

Chestnut-mandibled toucan

Ramphastos swainsonii

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:

chestnut-mandibled toucan (en); tucano-de-bico-castanho (pt); toucan de Swainson (fr); tucán de pico castaño (es); Swainson-tukan (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Ramphastidae

Range:

These birds are found in Central and South America, from eastern Honduras south through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, western Colombia, and Ecuador.

Size:

In this species males tend to be larger than females. The males are 56 cm long and have a wingspan of 50-54 cm, weighing 680-750 g. The females are 52 cm long and have a wingspan of 46-49 cm, weighing 620-680 g.

Habitat:

Chestnut-mandibled toucans are found in a variety of moist, forested habitats. They are most common in primary lowland evergreen forests, but they also occur in gallery forest, forest patches, older second-growth woodland, and even large parks and gardens with a suitable tree canopy. They are typically found from sea level up to an altitude of 1000 m.

Diet:

They are largely frugivorous, eating from a wide variety of fruiting trees and play a vital role in seed dispersal. Preferred food sources include Virola, Casearia, Cecropia, Protium, Hampea, and Trophis spp. They also sometimes take lizards, large insects, and the eggs and young of other birds.

Breeding:

The breeding season of the chestnut-mandibled toucan varies depending on latitude, taking place sometime in December-July. They nest in hollow tree cavities where decay has caused the wood to rot, or sometimes in abandoned woodpecker nests, typically 10-30 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents until fledging, which takes place 6 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species as a large breeding range and although the population is yet to be quantified, it is described as fairly common. With no evidence for any declines or substantial threats, the species is not considered threatened at present.