Gioca STEMAnimals

Animals · Rainforest and jungle

Toucan

Ramphastos toco

A huge and almost hollow beak

A toucan perched on a branch displaying its bright orange beak with a distinctive black tip.
A toucan perched on a branch displaying its bright orange beak with a distinctive black tip.
  • Status: Safe
  • Forested regions and wooded savannas of central-eastern South America, from Brazil to Argentina

Numbers

Weight
19 ozaverage value indicated in the material
Length
22 infrom 21 to 24 in, including beak
Lifespan
20 yearsup to 20 years in the wild
Beak length
7,5 inalmost one third of total length
Voice range
0,6 mideep and monotonous call
Roosting companions
6 individualsin the same tree cavity

Ten fun facts

  1. its beak can measure seven and a half inches, almost one third of the bird's total length of two feet.

  2. there are air sacs inside its beak, making it surprisingly light and very easy to break despite its huge appearance.

  3. its deep and repetitive call can be heard over half a mile away through the dense forest canopy.

  4. up to six toucans sleep inside the same tree cavity, resting their beaks on their backs with folded tails.

  5. each foot has two toes pointing forward and two facing backward, giving it a pincer grip on thin branches.

  6. courting involves a game of catch, where the male tosses a berry to the female using his large beak.

  7. chicks are born blind and featherless, opening their eyes only after three full weeks of life inside the nest.

  8. young birds have fleshy pads under their feet to protect them from the rough wood of the nest cavity.

  9. beak duels are frequent between individuals, who push each other back and forth until one bird gives up.

  10. the name comes from the Tupi word tuka or tukana, which may be an imitation of the bird's vocalization.

The quiz answers

Five questions about this animal. Pick an answer and find out if it is the right one.

Question 1 of 5

How long can the beak of the toucan be?

Question 2 of 5

Why is the toucan's beak so light?

Question 3 of 5

How far can the call of the toucan be heard?

Question 4 of 5

How many toucans can sleep in the same tree cavity?

Question 5 of 5

What does the toucan eat most of all?

Try it yourself

Experiment 1

Measure seven and a half inches on a ruler and compare it to your open hand: that is the exact length of a toucan's giant beak.

Experiment 2

Weigh nineteen ounces of flour on a kitchen scale and lift it with one hand: that is roughly the total weight of an adult toucan.

Experiment 3

Using a online map, measure half a mile from your front door: that is how far away the loud call of a toucan can travel.

Data from Wikidata (Q376038) and Wikipedia (Toco toucan).