Kingdom: Animals
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: 6
Species: 380
It’s sort of hard to believe that Woodpeckers and Toucans belong to the same Order of birds. Both live in trees and have similar feet. They have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward for easy climbing and perching. Both the woodpeckers and toucans help nature. The woodpeckers eat the insects that could harm trees. Toucans eat the trees fruit and then passes the seeds through its body which then grow to make new trees.
Toco Toucan
Range: South America (Brazil and Amazon basin)
Habitat: Tropical rain forests
Conservation Status: Common
Scientific Name: Ramphastos toco
Our toco toucan, River, came to Scovill Zoo in 2013. The toco toucan is fairly common in its natural habitat. Its long bill helps it reach fruit on hard to reach limbs. The birds hold the fruit at the tip of their bills and then toss it to the back of their throat with a flick of their head. They will also eat insects, frogs, small reptiles, small birds, and their eggs. The bill looks heavy, but it is mostly hollow inside. The toucans tongue is almost as long as the bill and is very flat. They are omnivorous and eat mainly fruits, but occasionally insects, reptiles, birds and eggs.
