Keel-billed toucan belongs to the Latin American member of the toucan family. This national bird of Belize, is a frolicsome bird with vibrant colored body and has the most colorful beak amongst all birds in the world, hence, its name rainbow-billed toucan.
About the toucan
A full-grown keel-billed toucan ranges from 17 to 22 inches, which includes its bill measuring around 5 to 6 inches, almost one-third of the total length. It generally weighs around 400-500 grams. Though it has a clumsy and heavy appearance, its bill is a spongy, hollow bone covered in keratin, a very lightweight yet hard protein. The bill is multicolored with orange, red, yellow, and green being the main colors. The bill plays a vital role in courtship display and as a defensive weapon. Having small tooth-like ridges along the edge of the beak, it holds inside a small feather-like tongue. The plumage of keel-billed toucan is predominantly black with yellow chest and neck, and a red tail-tip. They have blue feet with two toes facing forward and the other two facing backward. Being a poor flyer, it hops around in the woods from tree to tree. Male toucans are comparatively larger than their female counterpart.
Habitat of keel- billed toucan
Keel-billed toucan is a social bird and is rarely found flapping alone. It travels in small flocks of approximately six to twelve individuals. It inhabits around tropical and subtropical rainforests. It roosts often with other family members in natural tree holes or in the nests made by woodpecker generally on treetops.The nest becomes quite crammed because the bottom of the holes get filled with pits from the fruits that the toucans have eaten. It has a peculiar cramped way of sleeping with its tail and bill tucked under its body to conserve space for other members of the clan.
What does a toucan eat?
Being omnivorous, they live on fruits and berries available in the forests generally of smaller sizes. Apart from that, they also gorge on small insects, birds, reptiles, and eggs. The surprisingly deft bill is used to dissect the prey and then eat it. Often it eats the entire fruit in one go. Its long bill helps in reaching out to fruits, which would otherwise have been out of reach for them.
Breeding
Both male and female keel-billed toucan tends to reach their sexual maturity at the age of three years and since then mating occurs all through the year. Female toucan lays a clutch of two to four white eggs in natural or already-made tree cavity. Both the male and female care for the eggs. From the day of laying, it takes 15-20 days for the eggs to be hatched with the collective effort of both the male and the female toucan in incubation process. At the time of hatching, the chicks have no feathers and their eyes remain closed for approximately 3 weeks during which both male and female toucans take intensive care in feeding and caring the chicks until they are strong enough to fend for themselves. Due to adequately developed heel pads, the chicks can sustain the pit-covered bottom of the nest. After staying for eight to nine weeks in the nest, the bill develops fully, feathers also come up, and the chicks are ready to fly. Its call sounds like rrrek…rrrek! The call has a high pitch and can be heard distinctly within a kilometers reach in the woods. Keel-billed toucan can sustain its living for around 15 to 20 years or so.
Conservation
Though it is not an endangered species, yet due to loss of habitat, courtesy deforestation, and illegal pet trade, its existence stands threatened and the day is not far when there shall be only a countable number of such species if deforestation and illegal pet trade remains unchecked. In addition, it has many predators like snakes and weasels. Some birds attack its eggs thus reducing their growth significantly.
Interesting facts
In its native regions, toucans are associated with evil spirits and are adjudged the incarnation of demons and a myth prevails that the father of a newborn must not gorge on toucan flesh to avoid bewitching the baby. Toucans of different species are distinguished based on size, body color, beak size and the beak color. Toucans are intelligent birds and can be trained to perform a few tricks very easily. However, because of their large size and high fruit diet, keeping them as pets turn out to be a very costly affair. Moreover, they are prone to iron storage diseases as well.
