Toucans Are More Than Just Big Bills and Bright Feathers

by Kai Shade-Adamus, age 8

There are roughly 10,000 species of birds always moving around the world. Birds, in general, are the descendants of feathered dinosaurs from long ago, and their limbs turned into wings over time. There are two types of feathers. One is the strong-stalked “contour.” where are the outer feathers. Beneath the contour feather are fluffier “down” feathers, which keep birds warm.

Toucans are a very friendly and fun species of birds. Toucans primarily eat fruit and use their large beaks to pluck these fruits from tree branches. While their beaks are very large – even bigger than their heads – they are very lightweight and not made of solid bone. Instead, these beaks are filled with spongy tissue.

There are over 40 species of toucans that live in forest and woodland habitats. Toucans live in tree holes that are made naturally or made by other animals, like woodpeckers. Toucans usually lay about two to three eggs in their nest at a time. The eggs take two to three weeks to hatch. Newborn toucans are usually featherless and blind.

There are hundreds of bird species across the world; toucans are just a small example of an incredible bird These birds play an important role in the ecosystem and add to the biodiversity on this planet.

[Source: The Ultimate Guide to the Animal Kingdom]