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The Toucan



The toucan is a very colorful bird that lives in the tropical and subtropical forests and South Africa. Its name is pronounced TOO- kan or too- KAHN. It has a huge, colorful bill that is used to open large fruits for eating. The colors of the bill can be black, blue, brown, green, red, yellow, white, or a combination of colors. It also uses its bill to attract a mate. The bill is surprisingly light because it has air pockets all around. The bill is used for many things.

There are forty kinds of toucans. The largest toucan, the toco toucan, is about 25 inches long. The smallest, the aracaris, can grow to be about 13-14 inches long. The tongue of the toucan has a resemblance to a feather. It is used for many things such as getting the insides of a fruit out.

Toucans travel in large flocks and sleep in hallow trees. When sleeping they turn their head so that their bill is going across their back and fold their tail over their head. The toucans only mate once a year and lay about 2-4 eggs. The male and female take turns sitting on the eggs. The eggs will hatch in about 15 days after birth. The parents will take care of the babies for about eight weeks and then they are on their own. The toucans are very interesting and exotic birds.