Bird Album
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus Lesson, RP, 1830
≈55 cmLength410 gWeight
Its large bill resembles a piece of rainbow candy, with a green ground color, orange sides and a red tip.
Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Costa Rica, Panama, Belize
How to identify
Field marks
- Large bill green, with a red tip and orange sides
- Body mostly black
- Neck and breast yellow
- Feet blue
Male, female and young
Sexes very similar in appearance apart from size.
Voice
Gives sounds such as “grr”, “trrii” and “rrrk”.
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Costa Rica, Panama, Belize
Keel-billed Toucan has been recorded at 225 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Estación Biológica La Selva-OTSCosta Rica9,183 records
- Rancho NaturalistaCosta Rica7,364 records
- Arenal Observatory LodgeCosta Rica6,839 records
More places
- Canopy TowerPanama5,300 records
- Black Rock LodgeBelize4,620 records
- Curi-Cancha Refugio de Vida SilvestreCosta Rica4,439 records
- Pipeline Road (Camino del Oleoducto)Panama2,904 records
- Panama Rainforest Discovery CenterPanama2,885 records
- Selva Verde LodgeCosta Rica2,633 records
- Chaa CreekBelize2,482 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), also known as rainbow-billed toucan or sulphur-breasted toucan, is a species of toucan native to southern Mexico, Central America and the far northwest of South America, and is found in tropical forests. It is the national bird of Belize. It is an omnivorous forest bird that feeds on fruit, seeds, insects, invertebrates, lizards, snakes, and small birds and their eggs.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Keel-billed Toucan?
The Keel-billed Toucan is about ≈55 cm long and weighs around 410 g.
Where does the Keel-billed Toucan live?
Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: eastern Mexico to northwestern Venezuela. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Panama and Belize.
When is the best time to see the Keel-billed Toucan?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and March (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Keel-billed Toucan endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Keel-billed Toucan as Near Threatened.
What does the Keel-billed Toucan eat?
Main food: Fruit.
What family is the Keel-billed Toucan in?
It belongs to the family Toucans (Ramphastidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Length
- ≈55 cm
- Weight
- 410 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Fruit
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
More measurements
- Wing
- 200 mm
- Tail
- 163 mm
- Bill
- 129 mm
- Tarsus
- 49 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Middle America, South America: eastern Mexico to northwestern Venezuela
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Toucans Ramphastidae
- Genus
- Ramphastos
Other birds in the genus Ramphastos
Toco ToucanRamphastos toco
Yellow-throated ToucanRamphastos ambiguus
White-throated ToucanRamphastos tucanus
Red-breasted ToucanRamphastos dicolorus
Choco ToucanRamphastos brevis
Citron-throated ToucanRamphastos citreolaemus
Channel-billed ToucanRamphastos vitellinus
Saffron ToucanetPteroglossus bailloni
Green AracariPteroglossus viridis
Lettered AracariPteroglossus inscriptus
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by aguilargm. ↗
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