Introduction
National Geographic: Birds of Paradise- Toucan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ExbebXMw1M&feature=fvw
Toucans are a symbol of the American tropics. These large birds with bright bills, almost one third of their size, curve downward at the tip. Most toucan bills look jagged. Sexual dimorphisms in toucans are not obvious, however, most female species weight less and have shorter bills than males. The life span of a toucan can be up to forty years.
The keel billed toucan is the national bird of Belize.
CLASSIFICATION
Taken from http://www.timetree.org/pdf/Moore2009Chap65.pdf
Picidiformes diverged at
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Ramphastidae
Genera: Andigena (mountain-toucans),
Aulacorhynchus (green toucanets),
Baillonius (the saffron toucanet),
Pteroglossus (aracaris,
Ramphastos (true toucans),
Selenidera (dichromatic toucanets).
Family Ramphastidae linearized tree method to a data set of partial mitochondrial cytochrome b and small ribosomal subunit 125 rDNA sequences of the Ramphastidae and Capitoninae. The study done by Nahum et al. (2003) identifies the taxa divergence among the taxa.
The divergence times indicate that the Ramphastidae speciated in the Pleistocene glaciations (20,000 years ago) during tropical forest expansions from drier biomes.
Family Ramphastidae consists of six genera including Aulacorhynchus, Selenidera, Andigena, Pteroglossus, Ramphastos, and Baillonius. Capitonidae, the barbets, are the closest relatives of the toucans, as are the Picidae, the woodpeckers.
Systematic list
Genus Aulacorhynchus - green toucanets (6-13 species, depending on taxonomy)
Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis
Blue-banded Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus derbianus
Chestnut-tipped Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus haematopygus
Crimson-rumped Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus huallagae
Yellow-browed Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus prasinus
Emerald Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus (prasinus) wagleri
Wagler's Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus (prasinus) caeruleogularis
Blue-throated Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus (prasinus) cognatus
Violet-throated or Nelson's Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus (prasinus) lautus
Santa Marta Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus (prasinus) albivitta (North)
Andean Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus (prasinus) atrogularis
Black-throated or Peruvian Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus sulcatus
Groove-billed Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus (sulcatus) calorhynchus
Yellow-billed Toucanet
Genus Selenidera - dichromatic toucanets
Selenidera culik
Guianan Toucanet
Selenidera nattereri
Tawny-tufted Toucanet
Selenidera reinwardtii
Gold-collared Toucanet
Selenidera (reinwardtii) langsdorffii
Langsdorff's Toucanet or Green-billed Toucanet
Selenidera gouldii -
Gould's Toucanet sometimes included in S. maculirostris
Selenidera maculirostris
Spot-billed Toucanet
Selenidera spectabilis
Yellow-eared Toucanet
Genus Andigena - mountain-toucans
Andigena hypoglauca
Grey-breasted Mountain-toucan
Andigena cucullata
Hooded Mountain-toucan
Andigena laminirostris
Plate-billed Mountain-toucan
Andigena nigrirostris
Black-billed Mountain-toucan
Genus Pteroglossus - aracaris (14 species, incl. Saffron Toucanet)
Pteroglossus inscriptus Lettered Aracari
Pteroglossus viridis
Green Aracari
Pteroglossus bitorquatus
Red-necked Aracari
Pteroglossus azara
Ivory-billed Aracari
Pteroglossus mariae
Brown-mandibled Aracari
Pteroglossus castanotis
Chestnut-eared Aracari
Pteroglossus aracari
Black-necked Aracari
Pteroglossus torquatus
Collared Aracari
Pteroglossus frantzii
Fiery-billed Aracari
Pteroglossus sanguineus
Stripe-billed Aracari
Pteroglossus erythropygius
Pale-mandibled Aracari
Pteroglossus pluricinctus
Many-banded Aracari
Pteroglossus beauharnaesii
Curl-crested Aracari
Pteroglossus bailloni
Saffron Toucanet
Genus Ramphastos - typical toucans (about 10 species)
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos brevis
Choco Toucan
Ramphastos vitellinus
Channel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos (vitellinus) citreolaemus
Citron-throated Toucan
Ramphastos (vitellinus) ariel
Ariel Toucan
Ramphastos (vitellinus/ariel) culminatus
Yellow-ridged Toucan
Ramphastos dicolorus
Red-breasted Toucan
Ramphastos swainsonii
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
Black-mandibled Toucan
Ramphastos tucanus
White-throated Toucan
Ramphastos (tucanus) tucanus
Red-billed Toucan
Ramphastos (tucanus) cuvieri
Cuvier's Toucan
Ramphastos toco
Toco Toucan
Genus Baillonius
Baillonius bailloni
Saffron toucanet
Reference to photos for each Toucan Species: http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?did=28435&tid=3
http://www.elitparrots.ru/tuk.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/toucans-ramphastidae-biological-family
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Toucans- only found in the Neotropics. Brightly coloured, yet oversized bills, which can sometimes be about one third of its body length, are the hallmark of Toucans. Despite the toucans bill length it only makes up <>3. The bill has serrated edges to tear apart large fruit.
Photographs from a Toucan beak from:
http://www.meyersgroup.ucsd.edu/papers/journals/Meyers%20270.pdf
Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8834288@N05/856401012/
Image from http://www.heycow.com/v/Featured/Tucan_7722.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1
Toucans have brightly coloured plumage, and short but strong, zygodactyl feet (with two toes forward and two back, arranged in pairs with the first and fourth toes turned backward). This toe arrangement acts as an advantage for birds that spend most of their time on tree trunks.
From: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Toucan
The tongue of the toucan is described as a fibrous bristle. It is actually a feather. 
image from http://books.google.ca/books?id=gl1kAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=NERVES+IN+TOUCAN+TONGUE&source=bl&ots=N9iDvj-PGI&sig=RBybWjOTDgSZyvnBfOZUC7EkrGk&hl=en&ei=w08bS92lD8qZlAf2ldHyCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CA4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=NERVES%20IN%20TOUCAN%20TONGUE&f=false
The toucan possesses the most singular tongue of any other bird. It is like feather with a cartilaginous substance –made-shaft. The tongue being several inches , singularly frayed, assists in efforts of eating and sensitivity to taste.
Nostrils are placed on the upper Black line of separation (between the head and the bill) which are almost covered with feathers.
The periophthalmic region is nude and brightly coloured- usually an indicator of core body temperature (it does not change colour). The skin in this area is brightly coloured such as green, on the keel-billed toucan, blue, around the eyes of a channel-billed toucan, and orange and blue around the eyes of a toco toucan.
Toucans have complex taoils. The rear three vertebrae are fused and attached to the spine by a ball-and-socket joint allowing the toucan to snap their tail forward (Reynolds 2002).
*Reynolds, J. 2002. Book review: Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 7. Jacamars to Woodpeckers edited by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, and Jordi Sargatal. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 2002. ISBN 8487334377. 613 pages. Biological Conservation 111(2): 280-281. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT and DISTRIBUTION
Toucans which reside in the canopy layer (approximately 30 m) in only the forests of the Neotropics such as those found in Mexico, South Central America, and most Amazonian rainforests or mid- South America. Columbia has the highest Ramphastidae diversity –home to 21 species of Ramphastidae, followed closely by Venezuela, Ecuador, and Brazil—home to 17 species.
image from
http://www.nashvillezoo.org/piciformes/ramphastidae.htm
The habitat varies with the genus Ramphastos generally residing in lowland rain forests to open forest habitat. Some species of the Ramphastos genus inhabit palm savanna but most are canopy specialists.
The aracaris also inhabit the warm rainforests and are riverine specialists, usually in lowlans at about 2500m elevations (the humid tropics). Toucanet habitat varies with genus as those in Aulacorhynchus prefer cool mountainous forests from 3300 to 10,000ft whereas the genus Selenidera spend their time in lower altitude rainforests. Andigena (the mountain toucans) range from the Andes from northwest Venezuela to Bolivia in that subtropic zone to higher altitudinal (about 3000m) temperate zones.
Toucans reside in tree cavities- some natural holes, and others using abandoned holes excavated by woodpeckers of which they refine to suit their size.
Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/73387558@N00/145404123/
Image from
http://eyesonbrazil.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/toucans-not-only-in-fruit-loops/
BEHAVIOURS
Diet and Feeding.
The toucan plucks and holds fruit in the tip of its beak and tosses it backward into its throat. Toucans will regurgitate hard pits and seeds while smaller seeds will pass through the toucans digestive tract.
Toucans are primarily frugivorous- palm fruits in particular are favoured, such as those of Mauritia, whereas figs, guava, and red pepper fruits are also eaten. Toucans are also opportunistic carnivores and eat small animals such as songbirds (including their eggs), lizards, amphibians, small reptiles, bats, and insects such as crickets, cicadas, spiders, and termites.
Toucans are very important vectors of seed dispersal
Robinson, S. K. 1985. Coloniality in the yellow-rumped cacique as a defense against nest predators. Auk 10(3): 506-519. **
Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturalbornhikers/2750857773/
Circadian Rhythm
Toucans are most active at sunrise and typically throughout the day, and most after rainstorms.
Few toucans are active after dusk, however some do feed on small mammals, such as bats, until dark.
When toucans sleep, their tail snaps forwards until it touches the head, and the head turns around and rests under the tail on the body. The sleeping toucan appears as a ball of feathers.
Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/paolodemarchi/2430331344/
Locomotion
Image from: http://www.toftphoto.com/gallery/showpicture.php?gallery=birds&id=1022
Toucan birds have a gravity at the wings and therefore flight is possible however, toucans are poor flying birds because of their large masses. Their wings and flight mechanisms did not develop for specialized flight since most live year round in the same area, and most food is foraged at high elevations in the canopy.
Avoiding Predators
Toucans do not like to descend to the tropic grounds as they are prey to several predators. These include forest eagles, hawks, and owls, while others such as snakes, monkeys, and weasels raid their nests. Other birds will attack a toucan only while it is in flight, because it is then unable to defend itself with its bill. Felines also prey on larger toucan birds.
In order to avoid low elevation in the forest, toucans drink from canopy plants called bromeliads and bath against wet leaves to bath.
<http://www.answers.com/topic/toucans-ramphastidae-biological-family> <http://animals.jrank.org/pages/956/Toucans-Ramphastidae-BEHAVIOR-REPRODUCTION.html>
http://www.costarica-homeschool.com/cw/toucans.html
Bird Calls
Toucans are the loudest and noisiest birds in the forest. Each species of bird has a unique vocalization.
The toucan calls are either barks, bulging calls, or croaks. Bird calls are used to attract groups to good foraging sites, or species recognition which is most useful during the mating season.
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Ramphastidae.html#Ramphastidae
http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Toucan_Bird_sound.aspx
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/600609/toucan>
Social and Mating
Toucans roost in groups where several birds will crowd into the same hollow. Only few toucan species migrate during spring and fall to lowlands or to mountainside forests . They wander through the forest and clearings in groups of approximately six to twelve birds of the same species.
Toucans are very social birds. They play by throwing berries at other birds, or beak jousting.
Social interaction of mating toucans includes the fruit tossing ritual. Both sexes take part in this, however the male feeds berries to the female as part of courtship. Often mates will groom each other. Toucans are family oriented, and mates form strong bonds and become monogamous.
http://www.coterc.org/documents/InfoSheetKeelBilledToucan.pdf
http://www.itsnature.org/air/birds-air/toco-toucan/>
Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davewomach/3538367981/
Reproduction and Development
Imageof newly hatched toco toucans from:
<http://blueparrot.wildlifedirect.org/category/pantanal/page/2/>
GENOMICS
Ramphastidae have a diploid chromosome number ranging from 88-108 (2n) in different species.
Ramphastidae do not breed until three or four years of age. The female will usually lay 3-4 eggs per clutch in her nest which may be as heavy as 5% of her weight in some species. Toucans, as well as many other species in the class Aves, undergo discoidal cleavage where cleavage furrows do not penetrate the yolk allowing the embyo to form a blastodisc on top of the yolk.
Eggs are elliptical in shape and white. Both toucan parents incubate eggs for 18 days. The chicks hatch blind and nude. Toucan parents will share nest cleaning and feeding. Chicks have heel pads which help them balance and jump inside their nest. After 41-50 days, the bill is fully developed and their feathers are grown in. Fledging occurs after this point, and the chicks begin to feed themselves. The chicks
Wings are not strong enough for flight for the first three months, so until then, they hop on branches.
Nestlings develop slowly and fledging occurs 41-50 days, and when they begin to feed themselves.
http://www.nashvillezoo.org/piciformes/ramphastidae.htm
Genetics and Molecular Biology, 25, 2, 147-150 (2002)
Copyright by the Brazilian Society of Genetics. Printed in Brazil
www.sbg.org.br
http://www.answers.com/topic/toucans-ramphastidae-biological-family> http://science.jrank.org/pages/6877/Toucans.html> http://www.coterc.org/documents/InfoSheetKeelBilledToucan.pdf
Grooming
Image from: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QcS0kSRtWI7MO9TgZ3x32Q
Preening is important for the straightning and oiling of feathers, and removal of dirt and debris from the body surface. Bills that are well designed for feeding are not necessarily signed for preening. Toucans are less efficient at preening due to their large and lengthy bills. Birds with impaired preening- such as the Ramphastidae would have difficulty removing ectoparasites, however large birds have a lesser ectoparasite load and somehow compensate for poor preening.
A study done by Clayton and Cotgreave showed the proportion of grooming time spent scratching was positively correlated with relative bill length, which they stated that scratching is their form of compensatory grooming.
http://darwin.biology.utah.edu/PubsHTML/PDF-Files/21.pdf
TOOLS AND MECHANISMS
The Toucan Bill
The structure of the Toucan beak reveal a ‘sandwich structure’ of functionally graded materials with components made of foam covered by a hard surface layer.
Fig. 2. Schematic cross section of toucan beak.
The exterior shell consists of multiple layers of Keratin scales [shown in (s)] which contains a relatively small amount of sulfer. The keratin scales are hexagonal and overlap[refer to (b)]. The interior of the beak is a foam structure [shown in (c)] and consistes of glycine components, and collagen. The interior resembles the walled hollow tube structure of bone.
Fig. 3. Scanning electron micrographs and schematic drawings; (a) exterior of beak (keratin); (b) keratin scale; (c) interior of beak (foam); (d) closed cell of beak.
From: http://www.meyersgroup.ucsd.edu/papers/journals/Meyers%20270.pdf
Mechanism of the Beak
The toucan bill acts as a radiator to control its body temperature (since birds do not sweat) through large blood vessels of which the heat then dissipates into the air due to the lack of insulation in the beak. The higher the blood flow to the bill, the more heat dissipates.
Infrared thermography image.
Warmer areas are shown in yellow and cooler areas are in purple.
Image from:
http://www.nashvillezoo.org/piciformes/ramphastidae.htm
http://www.timetree.org/pdf/Moore2009Chap65.pdf
http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?did=28435&tid=3
http://www.elitparrots.ru/tuk.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/toucans-ramphastidae-biological-family
From: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Toucan
*Reynolds, J. 2002. Book review: Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 7. Jacamars to Woodpeckers edited by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, and Jordi Sargatal. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 2002. ISBN 8487334377. 613 pages. Biological Conservation 111(2): 280-281. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
http://www.nashvillezoo.org/piciformes/ramphastidae.htm
<http://www.answers.com/topic/toucans-ramphastidae-biological-family> <http://animals.jrank.org/pages/956/Toucans-Ramphastidae-BEHAVIOR-REPRODUCTION.html>
http://www.costarica-homeschool.com/cw/toucans.html
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Ramphastidae.html#Ramphastidae
http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Toucan_Bird_sound.aspx
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/600609/toucan>
http://www.coterc.org/documents/InfoSheetKeelBilledToucan.pdf
http://www.itsnature.org/air/birds-air/toco-toucan/>
Genetics and Molecular Biology, 25, 2, 147-150 (2002)
Copyright by the Brazilian Society of Genetics. Printed in Brazil
www.sbg.org.br
http://www.answers.com/topic/toucans-ramphastidae-biological-family> http://science.jrank.org/pages/6877/Toucans.html> http://www.coterc.org/documents/InfoSheetKeelBilledToucan.pdf
http://darwin.biology.utah.edu/PubsHTML/PDF-Files/21.pdf
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/download/id/45852/name/Cooling_bill_ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8165895.stm
Toucans and Humans
Central and South American rainforests are being deforested at a rate of 1000 acres/day. That’s faster than any other region in the world! Toucans only inhabit the Neotropics, and thus, as forests in the neotropics decrease, so do the populations of toucans. Two species of toucans are threatened: chestnut mandibled toucan and the gray mountain toucan.
Not only are toucan populations decreasing due to habitat reduction, but they are also hunted for their bills in native South American societies, and sold for profit.
Toucans are also domesticated pets to exotic bird lovers.
Castro, Marcio, Shirlei Recco-Pimentel, and Guaracy Tadeu Rocha. "Karyotypic characterization of Ramphastidae (Piciformes, Aves)." Genetics and Molecular Biology 25.2 (2002): 147-150. Web. Accessed 3 Dec 2009.
Clayton, Dale, and Peter Cotgreave. "Relationship of bill morphology to grooming behaviour in birds.." Animal Behaviour 47. (1994): 195-201. Web. 2 Dec 2009.
COTERC. "Keel-Billed Toucans." Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation. 2008. Web. 4 Dec 2009.
del Hoyo, Josep, Andrew Elliott, and Jordi Sargatal. HandHandbook obook of the Birds: the World (Volume 7): Jacamars to Woodpeckers. 7. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx, 2002. 280-281. Print.
Hilty, Steven L., and William L. Brown. A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1986.
It's Nature. "Toco Toucan Bird." 2009. Web. Accessed 4 Dec 2009.
Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2008. The Animal Diversity. Web. Accessed 2 December 2009
Moore, W. S., and K. J. Miglia. The Timetree of Life. London, England: Oxford University Press, 2009. 445-450. <http://www.timetree.org/pdf/Moore2009Chap65.pdf>.
Nashville Zoo . "NASHVILLE ZOO" Ramphastidae. 2009. Web. 1 Dec 2009.
Rennie, James, and Charles Knight. The Faculties of Birds. London: William Clowes, 1835. 87.
Short, L.L., and J.F.M. Horner. Toucans, Barbets, and Honeyguides. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Soundboard. "Sounds of Ramphastidae." Sound Board. Web. 4 Oct 2009.
Tattersall, G., D. Andrade, and A. Abe . "Heat exchange from the toucan bill reveals a controllable vascular thermal radiator.." Science 325. (2009): 468-470. Web. 5 Oct 2009.
Unkown Author. "Ramphastidae." Tukani. 2009. Unkown Publisher, Web. 1 Dec 2009.
Unkown Author. "Toucan." New World Encyclopedia: Ramphastidae. 2008. Web.
Unkown Author. "Toucans: Ramphastidae ." Animal Life Resource. 2009. Net Industries and its Licensors, Web. 6 Dec 2009.
