Yellow-throated Toucan

Ramphastos ambiguous

eBird offers this brief description for the Yellow-throated Toucan:  Large conspicuous bird with oversized bill. Mostly black overall with yellow throat and face. Note bicolored bill: dark below and yellow above. Found in pairs or small groups, often parading through the canopy in search of fruit. Sometimes perches very obviously at the top of a tree. Favors forested areas, but can also be found in gardens and edges. Yelping call helps distinguish from similar looking species.

The Birds of the World site provides this introductory information about the Yellow-throated Toucan:  ellow-throated Toucan is a large, black and yellow toucan most notable for its massive, bicolored bill. It occurs from southeastern Honduras south to western Ecuador, where it occurs in the lowlands and lower montane regions, and again from western Venezuela south to Peru, where it is more restricted to lower montane forests. These two populations also differ slightly in bill color: the bill of the northern population is yellow and dark chestnut, whereas the bill of the Andean birds is yellow black; formerly, some authors classified these as separate species (“Chestnut-mandibled” and “Black-mandibled” toucan, respectively). Additional study is needed to assess the species limits within R. ambiguus. Across its large geographic range, Yellow- throated Toucan is notable for its yelping, far-carrying cry (described by locals as Díos te dé). It is largely frugivorous, but like other toucans, occasionally feeds on insects, lizards, and the eggs of other birds. The nesting habits of Yellow-throated Toucan are little known, and although pit is hunted in many areas, it remains fairly common throughout most of its range.

I saw my first Yellow-throated Toucan on the morning of Sunday, February 5, 2023.  Our tour group was at Donde Copé, and we spotted the bird high up in a tree down the road from Copé’s place.  It was not a great look, but I was excited to see another Toucan, none-the-less.  I managed a couple of passable pictures, and they are below.