![]() ![]() ![]() Keel-billed toucan in Costa Rica Breeding They 'play ball', one throwing a fruit in the air and a second seizing it. Birds often "duel" with each other using their bills, and throw fruit into each other's mouths. There is a family structure within the group. They live together in groups, often sharing cramped living quarters of holes in trees. The flight distances are typically short. Their feet are drawn up forward in flight. Their flight is slow and undulating, consisting of rapid wing beats (six to ten), then a glide with the bird's beak extending forward and dipping downward as though pulling the rest of the bird. They fly in small flocks of approximately six to twelve individuals through lowland rainforests. Like many toucans, keel-billed toucans are very social birds, rarely seen alone. Adding to the lack of space, the bottoms of the holes are often covered with pits from the fruit the toucans have eaten. This can be very cramped, so the birds tuck their tails and beaks under their bodies to keep their body temperature at a normal level while sleeping. It roosts in holes in trees, often with several other toucans. It roosts in the canopies of tropical, subtropical, and lowland rainforests, up to altitudes of 1,900 m (6,200 ft). The keel-billed toucan can be found from Southern Mexico to Venezuela and Colombia. Because toucans spend a large portion of time in the trees, this helps the birds to stay on the branches of the trees and jump from one branch to another. Keel-billed toucans have zygodactyl feet (or feet with toes 2 and 3 facing forwards, and toes 1 and 4 facing backwards) – two toes face forward and two face back. The bill is mainly green with a red tip and orange sides. It has blue feet and red feathers at the tip of its tail. The plumage of the keel-billed toucan is mainly black with a yellow neck and chest. While the bill seems large and cumbersome, it is in fact a spongy, hollow bone covered in keratin, a very light and hard protein. Their large and colorful bill averages around 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in), about one-third of its length. Including its bill, the keel-billed toucan ranges in length from around 42 to 55 cm (17 to 22 in). Keel-billed toucan in Las Pumas Zoo, Costa Rica ![]()
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