Fun Chestnut Mandibled Toucan Facts For Kids

The chestnut mandibled toucan is a tree-dwelling bird found across Central America and South America, from eastern Honduras towards northern Colombia. These birds are also commonly known as 'Swainson's toucan' (Ramphastos swainsonii), and 'dios-te-de' and 'toucan de Swainson' in Spanish.

These birds are multicolored and have a vibrant appearance. Surprisingly they possess green, olive, maroon, orange, black, yellow, white, red, and blue colors on their bodies!

Their bodies can range between 19.6-23.6 in (50-59.9 cm) in length and they weigh anywhere between 1.3–1.6 lb (0.4-0.7 kg). They are similar in coloration to the keel-billed toucan and the calls of these birds are very loud and noisy.

They are deemed the loudest of all five toucan species that inhabit Costa Rica. The boldest and most eye-catching characteristics of these birds are their loud calls and their large bill that is chestnut colored.

Their long bill can grow up to an astonishing length of 7.8 in (19.8 cm)!

Surprisingly, these birds are quite romantic as they tend to feed their partner. These cute and vividly colored species are brightly marked and can be spotted bathing high up in the cavities of trees where water has amassed.

From January to June, they can also be seen nesting in old woodpecker cavities of trees. Read on to discover more surprising facts about chestnut mandibled toucans!

If you enjoy reading about chestnut mandibled toucans, you might also love our sunbird and roller facts too.

Chestnut Mandibled Toucan Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a chestnut mandibled toucan?

The chestnut mandibled toucan, Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii, is a bird of the Ramphastos genus. It is a member of the family Ramphastidae. It is also commonly known as Swainson's toucan, Ramphastos swainsonii. This tree-dwelling bird has a characteristic long yellow bill and this magnificent bird nests in colonies in trees.

What class of animal does a chestnut mandibled toucan belong to?

The chestnut mandibled toucan, Ramphastos swainsonii, belongs to the same class as the keel-billed toucan, Aves.

How many chestnut mandibled toucans are there in the world?

The population of chestnut mandibled toucan, Ramphastos swainsonii, birds is stable in the world. The exact number of these toucans is not yet known, however, this species is abundant in number.

Where does a chestnut mandibled toucan live?

Chestnut mandibled toucans can be found in Central America and the southern region of America. This bird can be spotted from eastern Honduras to Costa Rica and the northwestern region of Colombia.

It can also be seen along the Andes, in Venezuela, and in El Ora in Ecuador's southwest region. These birds are abundant throughout their distribution and this species of birds is not migratory.

This tree-dwelling bird resides in lowland as well as highland wet forest habitats, in semi-open areas among trees. They occupy trees that are fit for roosting, feeding, and nesting purposes.

They have also been observed to reside in the forest canopy. These birds are one of five species of vibrantly colored toucans that are found in Costa Rica.

What is a chestnut mandibled toucan's habitat?

These toucans inhabit wet forest habitats that have a high level of humidity. They reside in tropical forest canopies. These tree-dwelling birds can be seen flying among semi-open regions through trees in the forest. These birds are very noisy and are considered the noisiest toucan in Costa Rica.

Who do chestnut mandibled toucans live with?

These tree-dwelling birds take shelter in old woodpecker holes in trees with five to six other birds living together. They are also known to fly together in a small flock comprising of three to 12 birds.

How long does a chestnut mandibled toucan live?

The chestnut mandibled toucan, Ramphastos swainsonii can live up to 20 years in captivity!

How do they reproduce?

The chestnut mandibled toucan breeds in humid forests. The female lays two to four white eggs in an old woodpecker's nest or in the cavities of trees.

The male, as well as the female toucan, incubate their eggs for a period of 14-15 days. Chicks of these toucans are born naked and blind with short bills and they initially reside in the nest. These chicks are nourished by their toucan parents and fledge within six weeks.

Chicks are not as vividly colored as adults. Their bib is a shade of duller yellow, and they are sooty black, with pale red under tail coverts.

What is their conservation status?

This toucan species is abundant in its populations and does not face any significant threat. However, habitat destruction and urbanization do affect them seriously. They are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Chestnut Mandibled Toucan Fun Facts

What do chestnut mandibled toucans look like?

The magnificent chestnut mandibled toucan is one of the biggest toucans in size, along with the keel-billed toucan. A male toucan of this species can reach a length ranging between 20.4-22 in (51.8-55.8 cm) whereas a female toucan can grow as long as 19.6-20.8 in (50-53 cm).

Like other toucan species, this bird has a vivid coloration that is eye-catching. Their striking yellow-colored large bill which has a red base and black tip is one of their most defining characteristics and can have an extraordinary length ranging between 5.9-7.8 in (14.9-19.8 cm).

These brightly marked birds are mainly black with large spots of other bright colors.

Their upper back and hindneck are shaded with a beautiful maroon, the bib on their chest and throat region is yellow-colored and outlined with a white line, along with a red band. The lower back of this toucan is white colored with red under tail coverts.

Their olive-colored iris is surrounded by a wide yellow-green colored ring. These dazzling birds also possess bright blue legs!

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How cute are they?

This toucan species is extremely cute thanks to its multi-colored bright coloration. Their bills are really large, making up almost one-third of their body, which gives them a comical characteristic too.

How do they communicate?

These toucans communicate through body movements and calls. This species is commonly seen at dusk and dawn, in small flocks of three to 12 individuals or in pairs.

Their calls are high-pitched, piercing, and yelping. The chestnut mandibled toucan call sounds like 'yo, yip, ayip, ayip' or 'keureek kirick krrick'.

This sound is repeated continuously. One of their most famous calls is 'dios te de te de te de' which has a 'God keep you' meaning in Spanish. They are also known to do a side-to-side maneuver, tossing their beak and head up, and jerking their tails up and down rapidly while jerking their heads.

They are also known to make piglike noisy rattle noises that sound like a heavy book's pages being flapped. They are deemed to be one of the most raucous toucans in Costa Rica.

How big is a chestnut mandibled toucan?

The chestnut mandibled toucan has a length range of 19.6-23.6 in (50-59.9 cm). A male can reach a length ranging between 21.6-23.6 in (54.8-59.9 cm) whereas a female toucan can grow as long as 19.6-20.8 in (50-53 cm) long!

This species is the second largest toucan species being only 3.9 in (10 cm) shorter than the largest and the most recognized toucan, the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco).

How fast can a chestnut mandibled toucan fly?

The speed of this tree-dwelling bird is not known yet. However, their relative the keel-billed toucan has a top speed of 39.7 mph (63.89 kph).

These brightly colored creatures fly through the forest, a flight that comprises smooth rising and falling, in small flocks of three to 12 individuals, or in pairs. They do not fly more than 328 ft (99.9 m) in one go.

How much does a chestnut mandibled toucan weigh?

The weight range of this species is 1.3–1.6 lb (0.4-0.7 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

Male and female toucans do not have specific names with regard to their gender.

What would you call a baby chestnut mandibled toucan?

A baby chestnut mandibled toucan is called a chick!

What do they eat?

They consume seeds, fruit, invertebrates, insects, snakes, lizards, nestlings, small birds and their eggs, and small snakes. These magnificent creatures are preyed upon by weasels and large birds.

Are they dangerous?

This toucan is not dangerous. However, they can get aggressive when it's their breeding season. If they are well acquainted with people, they can be loving and friendly.

Would they make a good pet?

This toucan is a mesmerizing bird with brilliant coloration. It's a playful and intelligent pet for experienced owners. They also are a great display at zoos.

Did you know...

The large bill of these toucans is known to frighten birds like hawks.

These toucans are known to gather in trees at dusk and call in chorus. Their calls are often reciprocated by another group of the same species.

What is the biggest toucan in the world?

The toco toucan is the biggest toucan of all toucans and is found in the tropical forests of South America.

What is the rarest toucan?

Yellow eared toucans are the rarest of all toucans and are found in Costa Rica.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our peahen interesting facts or green-winged teal facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable chestnut mandibled toucan coloring pages.