Toco Toucan
Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0

Toucans

Toco Toucan

Ramphastos toco

LCLeast Concern
Length
55–65 cm
Family
Toucans (Ramphastidae)
Order
Piciformes

Overview

The toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) is a species of bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is the largest species of toucan and has a distinctive appearance, with a black body, a white throat, chest and uppertail-coverts, and red undertail-coverts. Its most conspicuous feature is its huge beak, which is yellow-orange with a black base and a large spot on the tip. It is endemic to South America, where it has a wide distribution from the Guianas south to northern Argentina and Uruguay, and its range has recently been expanding southwards. Unlike other toucans, which inhabit continuous forests, toco toucans inhabit a variety of semi-open habitats at altitudes of up to 1,750 m (5,740 ft).

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Diet: Fruit, plus eggs and nestlings.

How to identify it

  1. Largest toucan: huge orange bill with a black tip
  2. Black body and white throat
  3. Blue skin around the eye

Voice

Deep croaking calls.

Listen to recordings on xeno-canto

Where to see it

  • Pantanal, Brazil
  • Iguazú Falls

Destination guides featuring this bird

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.