-Let There Be Toucans-

Copyright 2000     Royce McClure

There are more that 50 species of toucans. One would imagine that their enormous bills would be heavy, but they are surprisingly light for their size. This is because they are paper-thin on the outside, and are reinforced on the inside with a honey-comb of bone. Their beak is very strong and is used to push through dense foliage to reach the fruit that it eats. Their tongue is very unusual, it has side-notches, is flat and long, and looks like a feather! Another peculiar thing about the toucan is the way the tail is joined to it's body. It seems to have a ball and socket joint. The toucan can jerk it's tail and raise it above it's back. The Toco Toucan is 61 cm (24in) tall with it's bill being 19cm (7 1/2 in.). They eat a wide range of fruit but they has a preference for Capsicum!