Ramphastos

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Ramphastos
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Ramphastidae
Genus: Ramphastos
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

See text.

Ramphastos is a genus of toucans, tropical and subtropical near passerine birds from Central and South America, which are brightly marked and have enormous, often colourful, bills.

This genus comprises the largest toucans. All the species are basically fruit-eating, but will take insects and other small prey. They are arboreal and nest in tree holes laying 2–4 white eggs. They are resident breeders and do not migrate.

The ischnoceran louse Austrophilopterus cancellosus is suspected to parasitize all species of Ramphastos toucans. Its presence has been confirmed on all species except the Citron-throated Toucan.(Price & Weckstein 2005)

Contents

[edit] Species list

[edit] Diversity of toucan bills

Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus

Channel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos v. vitellinus

Red-breasted Toucan, Ramphastos dicolorus

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Ramphastos swainsonii

White-throated Toucan, Ramphastos tucanus

Toco Toucan
Ramphastos toco

[edit] References

  • Price, Roger D. & Weckstein, Jason D. (2005): The genus Austrophilopterus Ewing (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from toucans, toucanets, and araçaris (Piciformes: Ramphastidae). Zootaxa 918: 1-18. PDF fulltext

[edit] External links

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