The cerrado is an area with limited tree growth with existing trees being semi-deciduous. Gilbert, A. The female usually lays two to four eggs a few days after mating. It can be found in a wide range of semi-open habitats such as woodland, savanna and other open habitats with scattered trees, Cerrado, plantations, forest-edge, and even wooded gardens. Due to its arboreal nature, the Toco Toucan is primarily a frugivore feeding mainly on the fruits and seeds found in the tree canopy. Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco). Responsive Website Design by Brown Bear Creative. Charles Darwin suggested it was a sexual ornament: “toucans may owe the enormous size of their beaks to sexual selection, for the sake of displaying the diversified and vivid stripes of colour with which these organs are ornamented". Baby toucans are not born with an excessively large beak; the beak grows as the birds develop. The nest is typically placed high in a tree and consists of a cavity, at least part of which is excavated by the parent birds themselves. Are you wild about whales? Fall/Autumn Facts for Kids 2020. They often move into cavities created and abandoned by woodpeckers. Countries Where Illegal Wildlife Trade Is A Major Threat To Wildlife. The toco toucan is subject to habit loss due to intense deforestation. In flight it alternates between a burst of rapid flaps with the relatively short, rounded wings, and gliding. When not feeding, the birds spend time grooming each other using their large bills to strengthen their social bonds. [4] The total length of the species is 55–65 cm (21 1⁄2–25 1⁄2 in). The most distinct feature of the Toco Toucan is its massive bill. The Toco Toucan possesses a complex array of sounds used for communication including deep, coarse frog-like croaks which the bird produces repetitively. [5] The bill has the ability to modify blood flow and so regulate heat distribution in the body, allowing it to use its bill as a thermal radiator. Although scientists have yet to discover the exact function of such a large bill, they believe it may play an important role in the courtship display and as a defensive weapon. Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. P.A. The birds are primarily found in low altitude regions but are also found near the Andes at 5,740 feet above sea level in Bolivia.