Keel-billed Toucan (1 of 1)
Toucans are wonderful birds, sporting such lovely and large bills. This one is a Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) leaping up to get some bananas that the lodge regularly placed out for them. At the end of the trip a group of us when to Toucan Rescue Ranch which had such an educated (and pretty) guide who provided non-stop information as she led our tour of the facility. Although the name implies that its focus is on toucans, my impression was that sloths were its prime focus. We'll get to that in another post. I only mention it to encourage people to take the tour and support this, or one of the other rescue centers in San Jose. I recall her telling us about the toucan's bill. It's not strong, like a parrot, and cannot crack nuts (or the fingers of its handlers). Besides impressing humans, the chief function of the bill is regulation of body temperature. The bill is filled with blood vessels which are exposed to the ambient temperature over the large surface area of the bill. Most of the toucans at the facility were pets whose owners could no longer take care of them. Their presentation strongly discouraged toucans or other wildlife as pets, many of whom will outlive their humans and either perish or be taken by a refuge center. Common sense people!
Keel-billed Toucan (1 of 1)
Toucans are wonderful birds, sporting such lovely and large bills. This one is a Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) leaping up to get some bananas that the lodge regularly placed out for them. At the end of the trip a group of us when to Toucan Rescue Ranch which had such an educated (and pretty) guide who provided non-stop information as she led our tour of the facility. Although the name implies that its focus is on toucans, my impression was that sloths were its prime focus. We'll get to that in another post. I only mention it to encourage people to take the tour and support this, or one of the other rescue centers in San Jose. I recall her telling us about the toucan's bill. It's not strong, like a parrot, and cannot crack nuts (or the fingers of its handlers). Besides impressing humans, the chief function of the bill is regulation of body temperature. The bill is filled with blood vessels which are exposed to the ambient temperature over the large surface area of the bill. Most of the toucans at the facility were pets whose owners could no longer take care of them. Their presentation strongly discouraged toucans or other wildlife as pets, many of whom will outlive their humans and either perish or be taken by a refuge center. Common sense people!