red-billed toucan

The plumage of this species is mainly jet black, extending from the crown to the rump through the neck and mantle. The throat and chest, of pure white, are sharply delimited from the black flanks and belly by a narrow scarlet red pectoral band.

The under-tail coverts are bright red, forming a marked contrast with the black tail feathers, while the upper-tail coverts are pale yellow. The massive culmen features black lateral ramphotheca, a lemon yellow culmen crest, and a bluish lower mandible base. A circle of azure blue bare skin surrounds the eye. The species lacks sexual dimorphism: both sexes sport an identical plumage.

Gregarious and social, this bird generally moves in pairs or small family groups of up to six individuals, although larger gatherings are observed on fruit trees.

As a dominant arboreal species, it displays aggression to defend access to food resources against other species. Its activity is marked by social interactions within the group, including chases, fruit tossing, and bill clashing.

Highly vocal, it emits characteristic calls of the Amazon forest, composed of a descending note followed by several high notes. It sometimes undertakes small seasonal migrations, particularly between inland forests and coastal areas in French Guiana.

An omnivore with a predominant frugivorous diet, this toucan consumes a wide variety of fruits, flowers, and nectar. It supplements its diet with animal proteins, capturing insects (beetles, caterpillars, cicadas, termites), lizards, and actively preying on the eggs and nestlings of other birds, especially passerines.

To feed, it uses the typical technique of its family: it grabs the fruit at the tip of its beak, tosses it into the air, and tilts its head back to swallow it whole. It then cleans its beak by rubbing it against a branch or scratching it with its foot. For drinking, it scoops water with a lateral sweeping motion before tossing its head back.

The nesting season varies according to geography. The species nests in natural tree cavities, located between 1 and 18 meters high, often reusing old nesting sites. The clutch usually consists of two to three white, elliptical-shaped eggs. The incubation, alternately carried out by the male and female, lasts about 15 days. Both parents actively participate in raising the young. The chicks open their eyes around 29 days and fledge around 49 days. Natural predation, especially by capuchin monkeys, poses a constant threat to the eggs and nests.