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The outrageously large and multi-hued bill the toucan has made him a superstar among birds the world over, and has earned him a place in our hearts. Here in Costa Rica we have two species; the keel-billed toucan, a stunningly beautiful bird with a rainbow-colored beak; and the chestnut-mandible toucan, a creature just as spectacular, but not so riotously colored.
 Toucan That heavy-looking bill, which is constructed from the same material as our fingernails, is actually extremely light. If it were not, the birds could never fly. Scientists are at a loss to explain what on earth such an outlandish appendage could be for, and in fact very little is know about the bird’s natural behavior, either. However, we do know that they are closely related to woodpeckers and that they not only eat fruit, but also prey on baby birds, eggs, lizards and insects. During courtship, toucans will throw pieces of fruit to each other as if playing a game of catch.
When sleeping, they will occupy a tree hole, but because their bill is so large they often find it difficult to fit inside. In order to compensate for this, the toucan folds its bill over its back and wedges itself into the hole upside down.
Unfortunately, because of his intelligent character and stunning good looks, the toucan often finds himself captured and caged – a cruel fate indeed for such a splendid-looking fellow. Although it is illegal to export them, many still fall victim to the poacher’s traps.
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Ecotourism and Nature 
