They do live among trees but in more open areas. Unlike other toucans, the toco prefers to live in open habitats instead of the dense rain forest. Most toco toucans live in Central America or the eastern part of South American. Females are smaller in size than the males but the coloring is the same.

The toco weighs from 1.1 pounds all the way up to almost 2 pounds. It also uses its tongue to toss food into its mouth. Like other toucans, the toco has a long, powerful tongue that it uses to catch lizards and insects. Due to the brightly colored flowers of the tropics the beak works as camouflage. This is the same way an elephant’s large ears work to regulate its body temperature.Īnother function of the beak is to help the toco toucan blend into its surroundings. Restricting the flow keeps the bird warm. The blood flowing through the beak releases heat and keeps the toucan cool. The beak also works as a type of built-in air-conditioning. The large size of the beak can help intimidate predators though it doesn’t really work as a defense weapon. It works like a set of tongs to pick up the fruit and then to peel it. They help the birds reach for fruit from a distance. The beaks of the toco are not only beautiful but serve a variety of functions. This allows the toucan to fly short distances which it could not do if the beak was heavy. Though the beak appears heavy it is made mostly of keratin and air around a frame of hollow bones making it extremely light.

The color of the beak is mostly orange with a large black tip on the end. The most notable feature is the toco’s large, colorful beak which ranges in size from six to nine inches. The eyes appear to be blue but are actually covered in a blue skin. The plumage of the toco toucan includes a black body, white chest, and a ring of red around the eyes. Toucan Sam, the symbol for Froot Loops cereal, is a toco making it the most well recognized of all the toucans.īecause of its popularity it’s also known as the common toucan though its scientific name is Ramphastos Toco. It can grow as long as 29 inches and its colorful bill is almost one third the length of its body. When feeding Toco toucans are able to hang upside-down on the tree branches and pluck fruits with their long bill.The toco toucan is the largest of the toucan birds.When toucan places its bill under its wings it insulates the bill and thus reduces the heat loss during sleep. In its capacity to remove body heat the bill of the Toco toucan is comparable to that of elephant ears. The bill has the ability to modify blood flow and so regulate heat distribution in the body, allowing the bird to use its bill as a thermal radiator. One of the functions of the Toco toucan bill is to serve as a surface area for heat exchange.These behaviors may be related to maintenance of the pair bond or establishing dominance hierarchies however, the digestion time of fruit, which can take up to 75 minutes during which toucans can't feed, provide this social time. Toucans often spend time sparring with their bills, tag-chasing and calling, during the long time it takes for the fruit to digest.Toucans are close relatives of woodpeckers.The Toco toucan is the largest among toucans and its bill is amongst the largest of any animal.