Toucan Types

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 28 January 2021
Update Date: 7 November 2024
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All Toucan bird species in the world types of toucan
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Toucans or Ranfastids (family Ramphastidae) belong to the order Piciformes, such as the beard-bearded and the woodpecker. Toucans are arboreal and live in the forests of America, from Mexico to Argentina. Its fame is due to its bright colors and its huge beaks.

The best known toucan is the largest, the toco toco (Ramphasto stump). However, there are more than 30 species. In this PeritoAnimal article, we review the different types of toucan that exist with features, names and photos.

Toucan Characteristics

All existing toucan types have a series of characters that allow them to be grouped within a single taxon. At Toucan characteristics are the following:


  • Nozzle: they have a long, wide, downward-curved beak. It can be in many colors, black and white or yellow. Its edges are serrated or sharp and it has air chambers that make it lighter. With their beaks, in addition to eating, they eliminate heat and regulate temperature.
  • Plumage: The color of the plumage varies greatly between the different types of toucan that exist, although black, green, blue, white and yellow usually dominate. A peculiar feature is that the orbital zone is usually a different color.
  • Wings: its wings are short and rounded, adapted to short flights.
  • Habitat: Toucans are arboreal and live in the canopy of more or less dense forests. They are sedentary, although they can make regional migrations in search of seasonal fruits.
  • Diet: Most are frugivorous animals, that is, they feed on fruit. However, within the toucan's diet we also find seeds, leaves, eggs, insects and small vertebrates such as lizards.
  • Social behavior: they are monogamous animals and live all their lives with the same partner. In addition, many form family groups of more than 4 individuals.
  • Reproduction: after a mating ritual in which the male feeds the female, both congeners build a nest in a tree hole. Afterwards, they lay the eggs and both parents are responsible for the incubation and the offspring.
  • Threats: The toucan family is considered vulnerable due to the destruction of its habitat as a result of deforestation. Although, according to the IUCN, none of the existing toucan types are in danger, their populations are in constant decline.

Types of Toucan that exist

Traditionally, toucans have been divided into two groups according to their size: araçaris or small toucans and real toucans. However, according to the modern classification, the types of toucan that exist are as follows:


  • Tucaninho (Aulacorhynchus).
  • Pichilingo or Saripoca (Selenidera).
  • Andean Toucans (Andigen).
  • Aracari (Pteroglossus).
  • Toucan (Ramphastos).

Tucaninho (Aulacorhynchus)

The Toucans (Aulacorhynchus) are distributed throughout the neotropical rainforests, from southern Mexico to Bolivia. They are small green toucans with a length of 30 to 40 centimeters and a long, stepped tail. Their beaks are usually black, white, yellow or reddish.

Toucan examples

Different species of toucans have variations in color, size, beak shape and vocalizations. Here are some examples:

  • Emerald Toucan (A. prasinus).
  • Green Toucan (A. derbianus).
  • Grooved-billed Aracari (A. sulcatus).

Pichilingo or Saripoca (Selenidera)

Pichilingos or Saripocas (Selenidera) live in the forests of the northern half of South America. They are characterized by their black and white or sometimes gray colored beaks. As in the previous group, its size is between 30 and 40 centimeters.


These jungle animals have marked sexual dimorphism. Males have black throats and chests. Females, however, have a brown chest and a slightly shorter beak. In some species, males have a red and yellow stripe from the orbital area, while females do not.

Examples of Pichilingos

Among the species of pichilingos, we find the following:

  • Aracari-poca (S. maculirostris).
  • Large Aracaripoca (S. spectabilis).
  • Gould's Saripoca (S. gouldii).

Andean Toucan (Andigena)

As their name suggests, the Andean Toucans (Andigen) are distributed throughout the tropical forests of the Andes Mountains in western South America. They are characterized by their very bright and varied colors, both in plumage and beak, and measure between 40 and 55 centimeters in length.

Examples of Andean Toucans

Here are some examples of Andean toucans:

  • Black-billed Aracari (A. nigrirostris).
  • Plaque-billed Aracari (A. laminirostris).
  • Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan (A. hypoglauca).

And if you find these toucans impressive, we encourage you to read this other article about the 20 most exotic animals in the world.

Aracari (Pteroglossus)

The Araçaris (Pteroglossus) live in neotropical forests in tropical America, mainly in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.

The size of these Amazonian animals is about 40 centimeters long. With the exception of the banana araçari (P. bailloni), they have black or dark backs, while their bellies are colored and often covered with horizontal stripes. The beak is about 4 inches long and is usually yellow and black.

Examples of araçaris

  • Little Aracari (P. viridis).
  • Ivory-billed Aracari (P. Azara).
  • Black-necked Aracari (P. torquatus).

Toucans (Ramphastos)

The birds of the genus Ramphastos are the best known toucans. This is because, of all the types of toucan that exist, these are the largest and have the most striking beaks. Furthermore, they have a very wide distribution, from Mexico to Argentina.

These jungle animals measure between 45 and 65 centimeters in length and their beaks can reach 20 centimeters. As for its plumage, it is very varied, although the back and wings are generally dark, while the belly is lighter or more striking in color.

examples of toucans

Here are some examples of toucans:

  • Rainbow-billed Toucan (R. sulfuratus).
  • Tucanuçu or Toco Toucan (R. toco).
  • White Papuan Toucan (R. tucanus).

If you want to read more articles similar to Toucan Types, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.