Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
The keel-billed toucan's massive bill is actually a highly efficient thermal radiator, used to regulate body temperature by adjusting blood flow.
- Scientific name
- Ramphastos sulfuratus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Piciformes › Ramphastidae › Ramphastos
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Tropical and subtropical rainforests, forest edges, and secondary growth woodlands.
- Diet
- Primarily frugivorous (fruit), supplemented by insects, small lizards, tree frogs, and occasionally bird eggs.
- Range
- Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela
- Size
- 42 to 55 cm (17 to 22 inches) in length, including the bill.
- Lifespan
- 15-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to deforestation, fragmentation, and the illegal pet trade.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Maintain a respectful distance and use binoculars for viewing. They typically stay high in the canopy; if you find one on the ground, it may be injured and requires a professional wildlife rehabilitator.
The keel-billed toucan ( Ramphastos sulfuratus ), also known as sulfur-breasted toucan or rainbow-billed toucan , is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize.
Photo: Brian Gratwicke, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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