Toco Toucan

Ramphastos toco

The Birds of the World website provides this descriptive information about the Toco Toucan:  The Toco Toucan is the one of the most recognizable tropical birds in the Americas.  The only non-forest toucan, the Toco Toucan is found along forest edges and in low wet grassland from Guyana south to Argentina, and from central Brazil west to southeastern Peru. Toco Toucans are the largest species of toucan and can be identified by their black body, white bib, red undertail coverts and large red-orange bill. Toco Toucans feed extensively on figs and other fruit, and also occasionally prey on insects and nestling birds.  When foraging, these birds travel in small groups in the canopy, gliding in single file from site to site.

I saw and photographed my first Toco Toucans on the evening of August 29, 2023 at a pond located on Fazenda Pouso Alegre in the Pantanal of Brazil.  I was able to watch several pairs of this beautiful bird as they came into the pond to drink.  For my blog post that includes sighting these birds, look here. Below are some pictures I took of the Toco Toucans that afternoon.   

THIS WAS THE FIRST GOOD LOOK I GOT AT A TOCO TOUCAN THAT AFTERNOON.
THIS PAIR OF TOCO TOUCANS SPENT A LOT OF TIME HIGH UP IN THE TREES NEAR THE POND. THEY WOULD FLY DOWN TO THE WATER FOR VERY BRIEF PERIODS.
A LITTLE DIFFERENT VIEW OF THIS PAIR.
ONE OF THE TOCO TOUCANS ON THE GROUND NEAR THE POND.
THIS PAIR OF TOCO TOUCANS WAS ABOUT TO GET A DRINK OF WATER FROM THE POND.

I watched and photographed Toco Toucans at Pouso Alegre the next day as well.  In the morning I got some closer shots of a Toco Toucan that came into the main feeder.  Later that afternoon, I got some shots of aToucan in flight while at the large pond.  Here are some of my pics from August 30, 2023.