Toco toucan

Physical features

• Toco toucans are the largest species in the toucan family. Their beaks, which are approximately eight inches long, make up 1/3 of their total size. Of all birds, they have the largest beak in relation to body size. 

• They have a black body, a white throat, and a bright orange beak with a black tip. Their eyes are surrounded by orange and blue rings of skin.

• They are sexually dimorphic, with males typically being larger than females. All adults have the same bright coloration, while juveniles are duller in appearance.

• Despite its size, the beak is very lightweight, consisting of a honeycomb of keratin supported by thin rods of bone. It is similar in consistency to a dry sponge. While this makes it useless as a defensive weapon, the large size may discourage predators.

• The beak is primarily used as a feeding tool, allowing the birds to grasp fruit from surrounding branches and forage inside tree cavities. Serrated edges on the beak are used for peeling fruit. The long, narrow tongue is used for tasting rather than swallowing.

• Young toucans do not have a large beak at birth. It grows as they develop and does not reach its full size for several months.

• Toco toucans typically travel through the trees by hopping rather than flying. To help them grasp branches and move vertically on tree trunks, they have zygodactyl toes – two point backward and two point forward.

• These birds are loud communicators who make a variety of sounds, including a rattling call, clacking of their beaks, and a deep croaking noise, which is often compared to the sound of frogs.

Diet: Omnivore

• Wild – Mainly fruits, with occasional insects, reptiles, and bird eggs. They have been known to steal eggs from the nests of other bird species.

• Zoo – fruits, softbill diet

Reproduction

• Toco toucans reach sexual maturity around 3 to 4 years of age. They are believed to be monogamous during their annual spring breeding season and while rearing their young.

• During courtship, either the male or female will initiate a fruit toss with a potential mate. Once this ritual has been carried out, mating can begin.

• The female lays two to four eggs in a tree cavity. The parents then take turns incubating them for 15-18 days.

• Hatchlings are bare-skinned and helpless for six to eight weeks, at which time they fledge and begin to develop their characteristic beaks.

Interpretive Information

• Toco toucans are playful, intelligent, and social. They form loose flocks of about six to 20 members.

• They live in small, hollowed-out tree cavities. To fit into this limited space, they turn their heads backward, tuck their beaks under a wing, and flip their tails over their heads – basically becoming a ball of feathers. 

• In their rainforest canopy habitat, their bright coloration actually provides good camouflage.

• Toco toucans are highly mobile throughout their range due to the constantly changing availability of fruit.  For that reason, the exact size of their territory is unknown.

• Their natural predators include raptors, boas, and jaguars. They use loud cries to scare off predators and alert other toucans to danger. To appear threatening, they will sometimes bang their beaks against a tree.

• Some indigenous people believe toco toucans are a conduit between our natural world and the spirit realm.

• Toucans are in the same taxonomic Order (Piciformes) as woodpeckers.

Updated June 2021