Swainson's Toucan

scientific name

Ramphastos swainsonii

size

Weight: male 19 oz, female 17 oz
Length: 16 in • mandible 7.7 in

characteristics

Color: body black; face, throat & foreneck yellow; rump white; undertail red • upper mandible yellow tinged green on ridge, dark red at base • lower mandible tipped black blending into dark reddish brown • brown eye surrounded by green skin

Behavior: males feed fruit to females • throw head back to swallow fruit • mated pairs preen each other • male defend portions of fruiting trees from other birds except for mate using treat or bill clashing with other toucans • when fruit abundant may travel in groups of 3-8 • bathes in rain-filled tree cavities • throws head back in first syllable to give call and then downward in a series of jerks on each syllable • voice far carrying, given as ‘Dios te dé’ or ‘yó yip _ yip’•also gives a load resonant, hard rattle as an angry voice

reproduction/life span

Nesting: nest in natural tree cavities •2-3 nestlings

diet

Wild: fruit, eggs, nestlings of other birds, insects, lizards

habitat/range

Habitat: : usually stays in canopy •may descend to forest floor to pursue small animals • sea level to 5000 ft
Range: Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador

other

also called Chesnut-mandibilled Toucan, Dios Tede (from call it gives, Dios te dé – ‘May God give it to you’)

note

largest toucan in Central America