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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about toucans. Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on new animal episodes! We’d like to thank Andre Pansoy for today’s colorful suggestion! There are just about 40 species of toucan, and although they all have that iconic beak, not all of them have the common name ‘toucan’. Some are called toucanets - they tend to be the smallest toucans. Others are called aracaris - they’re typically the medium-sized toucans. The ones who get the common name of toucan are most often the big boys, but toucanets and aracaris are technically toucans, too. Every species of toucan is found in the tropics of central and South America. They tend to live in forests and some even call mountains their home while others enjoy time in tree-rich savannahs. For the most part, they live in trees even though they are not the most graceful fliers! The most iconic part of a toucan's anatomy is also a contributing factor to their haphazard flight patterns. But hey, what they lack in grace, they make up for in style. These birds come in an array of pigments and during the day they're some of the loudest squawkers in the trees. Here’s what they sound like. They've also been observed play fighting with one another by smacking their beaks together. Their beaks are a handy tool and have a number of uses. Toucans can use their beaks to skin their meals which consist of fruits as well as animals. Their fruit eating habit is great for their environments because it helps with the spread of natural seeds. Plus, the size of a toucan's bill may help with heat dispersal in much the same way as an elephant’s ears do! Even though a toucan's bill can account for up to a third of its body length, it’s lightweight and may even give toucans access to food they otherwise wouldn't be able to reach on less stable branches. Plus, those big bills may even help in scoring a mate!

Toucans have been observed tossing bits of fruit back and forth in what could be a mating ritual. When they do win the affections of another bird, they will find a cavity in a tree and the female will lay anywhere from one to five white eggs. If they can, toucans will use the same tree over and over as a nest site, but, like the owls we’ve discussed in previous episodes, the determining factor of toucan populations in a single area doesn’t necessarily rest on predators but the number of available nesting sites. Toucans don’t really excavate their own nests, so they depend heavily on holes that are made in trees. Okay, now, it might seem silly for a bird with a beak almost half its size to hang out inside a tree, but they have this clever way of sleeping that kind of explains it. When they’re in their nest, toucans lay their heads and bills along their backs and actually use their tail feathers to cover them up! So they end up looking like a ball of feathers. Within a few weeks of both parents tending to the nest, the babies will hatch and develop for almost two months before they're ready to leave. Toucans do flock in groups, however, so the kids might stick around as part of the family if they are so inclined. It's guessed toucans can live to be twenty or even older!

In ancient Aztec mythology, toucans were seen as messengers of the gods who were given the gift of a large beak formed from rainbows. Ancient Aztec people would beg to toucans for rain thinking their wonderful gift of rainbows granted them power over the rain. I don’t think Chest has control over any natural forces, but Alice on the other hand… that’s a different story. Toucans are also used in modern day images - give us some examples that you know if in the comments!

For more facts on toucans, check out the links in the description. Don’t forget to thumbs up if you love toucans, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!