Channel-billed Toucan
A species of Typical Toucans Scientific name : Ramphastos vitellinus Genus : Typical Toucans
Channel-billed Toucan, A species of Typical Toucans
Botanical name: Ramphastos vitellinus
Genus: Typical Toucans
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Channel-billed_Toucan_(Ramphastos_vitellinus)_471545579.jpg , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
Like other toucans, the channel-billed is brightly marked and has a huge bill. It is typically 48 cm (19 in) long with a 9–14 cm (3½-5½ in) bill. It weighs 300–430 g (11–15 oz) Nominate race (R. v. vitellinus): Its upperparts, belly, tail and most of the bill are black, and the uppertail and undertail coverts are red. The bare eye-patch and bill base are blue, the throat is white, most of the central breast is yellow-orange fading to white laterally and the lower breast sharply contrasts with a broad transverse red band. The iris is dark brownish. It is found in the north-eastern part of this species' range. Race culminatus: It resembles the nominate, but has a yellow base of the upper mandible and ridge to its bill, orange-yellow uppertail coverts and the throat and breast are white (occasionally tinged yellow), with just a narrow red band separating the latter from the black belly. It occurs in the eastern and south-central part of this species' range. It is very similar to, and easily confused with, Cuvier's toucan (Ramphastos tucanus cuvieri). Race ariel: It resembles the nominate, but the base of its bill is yellow, the skin around the pale blue eye is red and the entire throat and chest are orange. It occurs in the south-east Amazon. The unnamed population from the coastal regions of eastern Brazil is virtually identical. Race citreolaemus. It resembles culminatus, but with a clear yellow tinge to the throat, a green tinge to the otherwise yellow culmen, a yellow-orange patch at the very base of the bill, and a pale bluish iris. It occurs in northern Colombia and north-western Venezuela. Wherever the distributions of the subspecies meet, individuals with features that are intermediate compared to above described races are common due to hybridization. Some of these intermediate populations have sometimes been awarded subspecies status, e.g. theresae for the population in north-eastern Brazil and pintoi for populations in south-central Brazil (both are culminatus-ariel intergrades).
Size
56 cm
Life Expectancy
14-20 years
Nest Placement
Cavity
Feeding Habits
Channel-billed Toucan primarily feeds on fruit, but its diet also includes insects, small reptiles, eggs, and frogs. This species forages in the canopy, using its large bill to gather food, and exhibits a preference for a variety of ripe fruits. Unique adaptations include a serrated bill edge for handling slippery prey.
Habitat
Channel-billed Toucan resides primarily in humid, tall forests within tropical lowlands up to elevations of about 1700 meters, favoring regions close to water like swamp and riverine forests. This species thrives in primary forests but can adapt to secondary forests. Its habitat spans forest edges and patches within savannas, avoiding arid and heavily deforested areas, with a particular abundance in moist, tropical regions.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Fruit
Behavior
This species is an arboreal fruit-eater but will take insects, small reptiles, eggs and frogs. The call is a croaking "cree-op cree-op cree-op". The parents are both active in raising the young. The white eggs are laid in a high unlined tree cavity. There is a gestation period of 18 days, and the parents both incubate for 15 to 16 days. However, they can be impatient sitters, often leaving their eggs uncovered for hours at a time. Newborn toucans remain in the nest after hatching. They are blind and naked at birth, and their eyes open after about 3 weeks. They have short bills and specialized pads on their heels to protect them from the rough floor of the nest. The feathers do not begin to expand until they are nearly 4 weeks old. They are helpless and unable to leave the nest for about 8 weeks, dependent upon both parents to feed them. After this, the young can care for themselves. They begin to leave the nest after 40 to 50 days, depending on size.
Species Status
VULNERABLE. Fairly common in tall, humid forest throughout its range, but suspected to be declining.
Photo By Channel-billed_Toucan_(Ramphastos_vitellinus)_471545579.jpg , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original