Choco Toucan
Encyclopedia
The Choco Toucan is a large, mainly black bird found in humid lowland and foothill forests on the Pacific slope of Colombia
and Ecuador
. Within its range, extensive habitat destruction is taking place, but it remains fairly common locally.
toucans), predominantly black bird with a striking yellow and black beak, a yellow bib, white uppertail coverts, red undertail coverts and green ocular skin. It is very similar to the larger Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
, but lacks brown to the beak. In the wild, the two are generally best separated by their voice; croaking in the Choco, yelping in the Chestnut-mandibled.
, the Choco Toucan is restricted to the humid Chocó forests in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Its estimated global range is over 110,000 km².
, their requirements of spacious cages and a high-fruit diet, and their sensitivity to hemochromatosis (iron-storage disease), make them difficult to maintain for novice keepers. The Choco Toucan is very rare in captivity in the United States
.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Within its range, extensive habitat destruction is taking place, but it remains fairly common locally.
Description
The Choco Toucan is a large (although among the smallest RamphastosRamphastos
Ramphastos is a genus of toucans, tropical and subtropical near passerine birds from Mexico, and Central and South America, which are brightly marked and have enormous, often colourful, bills....
toucans), predominantly black bird with a striking yellow and black beak, a yellow bib, white uppertail coverts, red undertail coverts and green ocular skin. It is very similar to the larger Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, or Swainson’s Toucan is a near-passerine bird which breeds from eastern Honduras to northern Colombia to western Ecuador. This subspecies is replaced from southern Colombia to eastern Peru by the nominate subspecies Black-mandibled Toucan, R. ambiguus ambiguus...
, but lacks brown to the beak. In the wild, the two are generally best separated by their voice; croaking in the Choco, yelping in the Chestnut-mandibled.
Distribution
As suggested by its common nameCommon name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
, the Choco Toucan is restricted to the humid Chocó forests in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Its estimated global range is over 110,000 km².
Reproduction
Choco Toucans lay 3-4 pure white eggs that are incubated for 16 days. The young fledge in about 45–50 days.In captivity
In avicultureAviculture
Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds and the culture that forms around it. Aviculture is generally focused on not only the raising and breeding of birds, but also on preserving avian habitat, and public awareness campaigns....
, their requirements of spacious cages and a high-fruit diet, and their sensitivity to hemochromatosis (iron-storage disease), make them difficult to maintain for novice keepers. The Choco Toucan is very rare in captivity in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
External links
- Photos of the Choco Toucan on Mangoverde.
- Videos of the Choco Toucan on the Internet Bird Collection
- Choco Toucan photo gallery VIREO Photo-High Res-(Close-up)