The Toco Toucan

The Toco Toucan illustrated here is the largest member of its family, which comprises 37 species. All toucans are inhabitants of South America, though some are found as far north as Mexico. The function of their enormous bill has puzzled scientists for a long time. What use is such an instrument? It is not a weapon. It is not a special tool for gathering food, since all toucans eat berries, seeds, and ripe fruit. A shorter, more solid bill would do just as well! Some ornithologists think it is simply a distinguishing feature, a visual threat to would-be competitions. But this hypothesis is not very convincing, since the bill of both the male and the female is exactly the same. So the mystery of the toucan’s bill remains Unsolved! The toucan’s predators are humans, big cats, and jaguars. It is pretty scary to know that but toucans are pretty cool animals!

Elizabeth K