Species Profile: Toco Toucan

Toucan Tango

The Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) is perhaps best as the poster child for Guiness Stout, which is marketed worldwide. The Toucan was first introduced in Guiness advertising in 1935, by Dorothy Sayers of the Benson advertising agency in England and was finally retired in 1982. Despite the birds themselves being depicted correctly, some of the advertising showed toucans with constructed cup nests, rather than nest holes in trees. In 1963 the Kellogg company adopted “Toucan Sam” as the salesman for “Fruit Loops,” but unlike the Guiness bird, Sam is not recognizable as a real species.

As a result of this publicity, the Toco Toucan, along with some parrots and penguins is perhaps one of the most recognizable birds to people everywhere. But how much do you know about this distinctive species? The Toco, at 25” is the world’s largest toucan, its giant bill is actually fairly light, being filled with air pockets so as not to weigh the birds down in flight. The species ranges widely from the Guianas, south to northern Argentina and it is not endangered.

The young are slow to mature, and the bill continues growing after they leave the nest, reaching full size a few months later. Unlike parrots, the adults are not especially long-lived; ten years being a good age.

The species has a loud call that can be heard up to half a mile away, and during their courtship displays the male and female toss small fruits to each other with their bills. They will also eat insects, lizards, and bird’s eggs. They choose quite small nest cavities and literally fold themselves up to fit. They do not live in dense rainforests, but tend to prefer more open forests, and they are commonly found close to inhabited areas.

The Toco Toucan is traded for the pet market in some countries but this has not endangered the species as a whole yet. The Wild Birds Conservation Act prohibits the import of wild0caught birds into the U.S., so no Toco Toucans can be purchased here unless they are bred in captivity in this country.

Some tribes recognize the toucan as an evil spirit. One spiritual group believing that the father of a new born child should not eat toucan flesh as it might curse the baby.

You can read more about the Toco Toucan on the University of Michigan web site, prepared by Lorri Marek, which also provides a list of further reading: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/ramphastos/r._toco.html.