Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, now generally treated as part of the larger Black-mandibled Toucan complex, is among the biggest of all toucans, with glossy black plumage, a bright yellow throat and chest, a patch of red beneath the tail, and pale blue skin around the eye. Its long bill is mostly blackish above, contrasting with a warm chestnut-brown lower mandible that gives the species its name and provides a reliable field mark at close range.

A true giant of the canopy, it moves through the forest in small family groups, hopping heavily between branches, its loud, far-carrying calls often the first clue to its presence long before it comes into view.

Key field marks

• Very large size, among the biggest toucans
• Glossy black body with a bright yellow throat and chest
• Long bill, blackish above with a chestnut-brown lower mandible
• Red undertail coverts and blue skin around the eye

Similar species

• Keel-billed Toucan is smaller with a boldly rainbow-colored bill rather than the mostly black-and-chestnut bill of this species.
• Channel-billed Toucan is also smaller, with a shorter, mostly black bill lacking the extensive chestnut lower mandible.

Habitat

Inhabits humid lowland and foothill rainforest, secondary forest, and forest edge, favoring the canopy.

Range

Found from Honduras and Nicaragua south through Costa Rica and Panama into western Colombia and Ecuador.

Migration

Generally non-migratory, with local movements tied to fruit availability.

Behavior

Usually encountered in small groups of a few individuals, hopping between branches in the high canopy; often the loudest and most conspicuous large bird in its forest habitat.

Voice

A loud, far-carrying, yelping or croaking call, often rendered as a repeated "kreeick" and audible over long distances.

Feeding

Feeds mainly on fruit, supplemented with insects, small vertebrates, and the eggs or nestlings of other birds.

Nesting

Nests in large natural tree cavities; lays 2-4 white eggs, with both parents sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties.