Toucans | Fun Facts About Toucans

Future Zoologist Academy is a virtual zoology and ecology program for kids who love animals. Explore the complete Toucans lesson using the link below.

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Toucans are a family of birds with more than 40 species! They are all found in the tropical regions of the Americas.

Toucans go by many names. We of course call them toucans, but some are called toucanets or aracaris (ara-car-ee or ara-ser-ee). Toucanets and aracaris tend to be smaller than true toucans, but they all have many things in common.

Members of the toucan family all have long, colorful bills. Their bills can measure more than half the length of their body! The purpose of their bill has been long debated.

Scientists hypothesize that bright colors on the beak of some toucans help them camouflage into brightly colored rainforest plants while others hypothesize it is used for attracting a mate.

The size of their bill helps them collect food. Toucans are frugivores, meaning most of their diet is fruit. Though, many species are omnivores and will eat insects, smaller birds, eggs, and small lizards when they have the chance.

Having a long bill helps them reach food without needing to move their body. This helps them save energy.

Scientists have observed toucans using their bills for competition as well. Toucans typically live in pairs or small groups and competitions are thought to establish dominance.

Their bill is also thought to help in thermoregulation, meaning helping them control their body temperature. Heat easily escapes their body through their bill which helps keep them cool.

Scientists used to think they covered their bill at night to hide from predators, but now they think it might be to help them stay warm on cool nights.

Compared to other birds, toucans have relatively small wings. This helps them navigate the dense canopy of their rainforest home. Because of their fruit-heavy diet, toucans are important seed dispersers. After eating fruit, they fly around the forest dropping seeds in their waste and allowing fruit trees to spread throughout the forest.

Toucans make a variety of sounds! They can make a croaking call like a frog, along with barking and growling sounds. They can also make a clicking sound with their beak.

Toucans rely heavily on old-growth forests both for feeding and breeding. They will use their long beak to reach inside tree holes looking for food, but they also use these holes for nesting. Tree holes are either formed by fallen branches or from other birds, like woodpeckers.

Most toucans have 2-4 eggs which are cared for by both males and females. Chicks hatch with no feathers and are completely dependent on their parents for food and warmth. Their bills grow as they grow!

Toucans are threatened by threats to their habitat along with capture for pet trade and hunting. They are hunted for food and their plumage and their bills are used for decorations.

Before we wrap up… I wanted to mentioned another bird that looks like a toucan and acts like a toucan… but is not a toucan!

Rhinoceros hornbills are found in Asia, not the Americas like toucans. They also have a large structure on their beak called a casque that is thought to help when competing for a mate and to make their honking sound even louder!

Sometimes people get them confused because rhinoceros hornbills and toucans both live in rainforests, have a long, colorful beak that helps them eat fruit, and nest in holes in old-growth trees.

Sometimes animals that are unrelated can develop similar adaptations when they have the same needs and live in the same type of ecosystem!

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