Keel-billed toucan Facts
Keel-billed toucan Facts
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| Interesting Keel-billed toucan Facts: |
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| Keel-billed toucan can reach 17 to 22 inches in height and 4.7 to 8.8 pounds of weight. |
| Keel-billed toucan has black body and yellow face and throat with green skin around eyes. Tip of a tail is red and feet are blue-colored. |
| Keel-billed toucan has beautifully colored bill that is combination of green, yellow, orange and red color, hence the nickname rainbow-billed toucan. |
| Bill is usually 4.7 to 5.9 inches long (nearly 1/3 of body length). Even though it is very large, bill is not heavy. It is made of light-weight protein called keratin and its internal structure is spongy. Bill doesn't affect stability of the bird. It probably plays important role during the mating season and serves as a weapon against predators. |
| Keel-billed toucan is not very good flyer. It moves mostly via hopping (from branch to branch). |
| Keel-billed toucan is an omnivore. Its diet is based mostly on the fruit and berries. Eggs, insects, lizards and frogs are occasionally on the menu. |
| Keel-billed toucan lives in the tree holes together with 5 to 6 other birds. They all sleep with bills tucked under the body to make room for other birds in the group. |
| Keel-billed toucan is very social and playful bird. It travels through the jungle in groups of 6 to 15 birds, throws fruit into the mouth of other birds and uses beak to "fight" with its playmates. |
| Keel-billed toucans use loud, frog-like calls (that can be heard 0.5 mile away) for communication. |
| Natural enemies of keel-billed toucans are birds of prey and humans. Snakes, monkeys, weasels and other birds prey on eggs. |
| Keel-billed toucans are monogamous birds that mate from March to June. |
| Female lays 1 to 4 eggs in the cavities of trees. Both male and female take part in the incubation of eggs that lasts 16 to 20 days. |
| Hatchlings are naked and blind at birth. Both parents provide food for their chicks until they become ready to leave the nest at the age of 8 to 9 weeks. Keel-billed toucans reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 to 4 years. |
| Keel-billed toucan is national bird of Belize. People in some parts of Central and South America avoid keel-billed toucans due to widespread belief that these birds are associated with demons and evil spirits. |
| Keel-billed toucan can survive 15 to 20 years in the wild. |
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