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Yellow-throated Toucan Ramphastos ambiguus Goldkehltukan / Gulstrubet tukan
Facts: Habitat: Rainforest treetops Food: Primarily berries and other fruits, but also insects, eggs, nestlings, snakes and lizards Number of eggs: 2–3 Incubation period: 16 days
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All toucans have a long, narrow, serrated beak with a curved tip. The beak is very light because it is hollow. The long bill is thought to be an adaptive feature that enables it to pick berries at branch ends because the toucan is too heavy to sit on thin branches and unable to hover in mid-air. The bill also serves as a weapon in fights with other toucans and for defence and raids on bird nests, etc. They depend on other toucans to preen their head plumage, as their bill is too long and unwieldy. Feather preening is particularly observed in toucan couples. Males have a longer bill than females. Many confuse the toucan with the hornbill, which is a member of a different family, however.
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