Birds · Piciformes · Ramphastidae

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The keel-billed toucan, rainbow-billed toucan or canoe-billed toucan is a bird of the toucan family and the national bird of Belize. Several subspecies are recognised. Its members are important seed dispersers that help regenerate the tropical forests and the habitats in which they live. Of the three toucan species found in Mexico, this is the largest, measuring between 50 and 59 cm and weighing roughly 500 g. Its black plumage contrasts with the yellow of its throat and breast; the skin around its eye is green, its iris and tarsi blue, and its long, serrated bill is pale green with a mix of blue and yellow tones, the orange-red tip standing out. The male's bill is longer than the female's. The bird is very striking for its colouring and for its eye-catching multicoloured bill.

Weight

380 g – 500 g

Size

42 cm – 55 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

RainforestHerbivore Omnivore Diurnal Near Threatened Bird Rainforest

10countries 13parks5same family1featured routes

Fun facts

Its bill is hollow and reinforced by an internal network of bony struts: it weighs a tiny fraction of the body despite being a third of its total length.
That bill works as a radiator: toucans regulate their body temperature by sending more or less blood through it, and a thermal camera shows it lighting up and cooling down over the course of the day.
It sleeps in tree holes with its tail folded over its back and its bill tucked under its wing feathers: several adults may share the same cavity, packed tightly together.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Lowland rainforest, secondary forest and plantations of Central America and northern South America
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 18 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramphastos_sulfuratus