Keel-Billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Also known as: Rainbow-Billed Toucan, Sulfur-Breasted Toucan
About This Species
Unmistakable for its enormous, brightly coloured bill, this toucan favours the canopy of lowland tropical forest from Mexico to Colombia, moving in small noisy groups. Listen for its far-carrying, frog-like croaking call, often given at dawn from an exposed perch. Fruiting trees are the most reliable place to find it feeding.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Observe from below the canopy with binoculars rather than trying to approach closely, and avoid climbing to or disturbing cavity nests in dead trees.
- As a Near Threatened species facing habitat loss, extra care around nest sites is warranted, and hunting or capture for the pet trade is illegal in most range states even though enforcement varies.
- Where local law is unclear, keep well back and let the bird continue feeding undisturbed.
NTAvesPiciformesRamphastidae
Seasonal Activity
354,977 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Ramphastidae
Photo
(c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.