Channel-billed Toucan
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| Ramphastos vitellinus Lichtenstein, 1823 |
The Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus) is a near-passerine bird which breeds in Trinidad and in tropical South America east of the Andes and as far south as southern Brazil. The western form of this bird, the Yellow-ridged Toucan, was previously considered to be a separate species, Ramphastos culminatus, but the two races readily interbreed.
This species is a resident breeder in moist lowland forest. The white eggs are laid in a high unlined tree cavity.
Like other toucans, the Channel-billed is brightly marked and has a huge bill. It is typically 48cm long with a 9-14cm bill. Sexes are similar. Both sexes are alike in appearance, and they are both active in raising the young. There is have 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 featheres do not begin to expand until they are nearly 4 weeks old. They're 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.
The eastern nominate race has a black bill, upperparts and tail, and a red rump. The bare eyepatch and bill base are blue, the throat is white and the breast shows successive bands of yellow, whitish and red before reaching the black belly. The undertail is black apart from red undertail coverts.
The subspecies culminatus has a yellow top ridge to its black bill, and the throat and breast are white, with just a red band separating the latter from the black belly.
The Channel-billed Toucan is an arboreal fruit-eater, but will take insects and other small prey. The call is a croaking cree-op cree-op cree-op.
References
- Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
- Ramphastos Toco by Lorri R. Marek
External link
Channel-billed Toucan (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ramphastos_toco.html)