There are over forty species of toucans, all living in southern Mexico and Central and South America. These birds live in flocks in dense forests and nest in holes in trees. The special feature of these birds is their enormous, brightly colored beaks, which set them apart from all other birds. Here are details of three.
The sulfur-breasted toucan has a green beak longer than its body and has a yellowish-tan breast. A patch of pink shows on both upper and lower parts of its beak, and its body feathers are mainly deep greenish-blue.
Brazil is the home of the toco toucan, somewhat smaller than the sulfur-breasted but with quite different color patterns. Its seven-inch beak, which is also longer than the rest of the body, is bright red and bright yellow. A black patch is on the end of the upper half, as well as a black ribbon circling it near the bird’s eyes. This band extends over the lower half of the beak as well.
There is a deep blue circle around black eyes and a white or yellowish throat, but on some the throat and breast are a light chocolate brown. Beyond that point, the body is black, except for a red heart-shaped area between the bottom of its tail and body.
The keel-billed toucan has perhaps the most startling colors of all. Its beak, not as long as some, has a bright red front on the upper part, followed by green all the way to its head, except for an orange spot in the center. The lower half has a smaller, matching, red point, backed by purple-blue, then some green and white with a final spot of blue at the base of the bird’s head.
The lower part of its head, throat and part of its breast are canary-yellow, while the upper part and the rest of the body are black, except for a bright red shield between the tail and body.
Toucans all have rather long, slender legs and long toes with sharp claws. Their unusual beaks are thin and light in weight and are great for snatching insects in the air, picking fruit or robbing eggs from birds’ nests. Wings are short and rounded and tails are quite long. Their calls to each other are harsh and lack the melodies common to so many other birds.
As the opening Bible verse reminds us, it is the Lord God who created all things, including these spectacular birds. But, in spite of His greatness, He has loving thoughts toward every person on earth. Another Bible verse says, “[He] will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:44Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)). Are you saved from your sins?
ML-01/18/2004