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You may have heard someone described as being “mouthy.” It means the person talks a lot. Or is rude. It has nothing to do with the size of the person’s mouth. Unless it describes a toucan.
Toucans have huge, brightly colored bills. Many are almost half as long as their whole body. Colors can range from yellow to green, white, and red. Some of the more than 40 kinds of toucans have names that actually describe their bills. Scientists think the bright colors allow toucans to recognize one another. They may also scare away hawks and other birds.
◀ A toucan’s bill is big, but is it heavy? Not at all. It’s made of very lightweight bone covered with keratin. (Keratin is the same material your fingernails are made of.) Like their woodpecker relatives, toucans have toes perfect for holding onto tree branches – two toes pointing forward and two pointing back.
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How well can toucans fly?
Toucans have small wings for the size and weight of their body. They have to flap them very fast just to stay in the air. So they can’t fly long distances. Toucans use their wings mostly as gliders. Much of the time, they get around by hopping from tree branch to tree branch.
The jagged edges of a toucan’s bill help it grasp the fruit and seeds it likes best. Its tongue is narrow and almost half a foot long. Bristles along the sides help it taste food. To swallow a tasty meal, the toucan tosses its head back. Down the hatch it goes! ▶
◀ A toucan’s bill helps it cool off on super-hot days. As the temperature rises, blood moves from the toucan’s body to its bill. The bill acts like a radiator. It releases heat to the air and helps keep the toucan cool. On cooler nights, the toucan may bury its bill in its feathers.
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▲ Toucans are noisy. They squawk. They bark. They croak. They tweet. They yelp. Some noises are used to attract other toucans to places where food is available. Others are used to warn of danger.
The emerald toucanet is about the size of a blue jay. It helps spread seeds in the rain forests of Central America.
