Habitat
Rainforest edges and open woodland
Amazon Heroes collection
Toco Toucan
Scientific name: Ramphastos toco
Try this
Mini mission: color the toucan's beak using two bright contrasting colors.
Diet
Mostly fruit, plus insects and small animals.
Ecosystem role
Helps spread seeds across the forest by eating fruit and dropping seeds elsewhere.
Fun fact
The toco toucan has one of the largest beaks relative to body size of any bird.
Where it lives
- Continent
- Americas
- Region
- Found across a large part of central and eastern South America, including the Amazon Basin.
- Environment
- Rainforest edges and open woodland
Did you know?
- The toco toucan's giant beak works like a radiator -- it can send extra blood to the beak to release body heat and cool down.
- Despite being so big, the toucan's beak is very light: it's made of keratin (like fingernails) with lots of tiny air pockets inside.
Test what you learned
What helps the toucan spread seeds?
Why does the toco toucan have such a giant beak?
What is special about the toucan's beak, even though it's so big?
