Fun Chestnut-eared Aracari Facts For Kids

The chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) is one of the smallest toucan birds and belongs to the Ramphastidae family. This species is known as Araçari castanho in Portuguese. They are known for their colorful appearance filled with a majority of yellow, green, chestnut brown, and black shades. They have a big bill with tomial or teeth on their upper mandible.

These aracaris are mainly seen in the regions of Brazil, Peru, Columbia, and the Amazon basin. They are known as wet forest residents and hence are found in abundance in savannas, wetlands, forests, and cultivated lands. These chestnut-eared aracaris make for some wonderful pets. This is mainly because of their people-friendly behavior, cuddly approach, and purring sounds when scratched on the head. It is said that children hand-feed them without being scared. They are one of the most intelligent birds in the world and can be trained exceptionally well when kept as a pet.

Read on to know more interesting facts about the chestnut-eared aracari. For more fun facts about animals, check our articles about the willet and northern harrier.

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What type of animal is a chestnut-eared aracari?

The chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) is a bird that belongs to the Ramphastidae family of animals.

What class of animal does a chestnut-eared aracari belong to?

This species named the chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) belongs to the Aves class of animals.

How many chestnut-eared aracaris are there in the world?

Even though this range of chestnut-eared aracari belongs to the Least Concern list of conservation, the exact number of their population is unknown.

Where does a chestnut-eared aracari live?

The chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) is native to central and eastern South America. They are often seen in the Amazon basin and the forests of Argentina, Bolivia, eastern Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay and, Peru.

What is a chestnut-eared aracari’s habitat?

In central and southeastern America, the most favorable habitat range of the chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) species is considered to be savannas, forests, and wetlands. These wild birds also love to fly across cultivated land range including coffee plantations and bamboo thickets.

Who do chestnut-eared aracaris live with?

This range of aracari birds is known to be quite social, similar to the chestnut-sided warbler. The chestnut-eared aracari may live in a flock of 10-12 individuals of its own species.

How long does a chestnut-eared aracari live?

There is no record of a chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) lifespan.

How do they reproduce?

This species of chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) birds are known to breed between February and September. Although, the mating season may vary based on their geographical range. The male and female mate and find a nest in tree hollows to lay their eggs in. These nests are usually woodpecker holes. The female lays around two to a maximum of four eggs. These eggs are incubated by both partners for almost two weeks. After the eggs hatch, both parents take care of the newborn babies until they develop. The young babies then leave the nest to live on their own after a span of a month or a maximum of 40 days.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, this species of chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) is marked as Least Concern.

What do chestnut-eared aracaris look like?

The males and females of this species look almost similar with a few variations. The males have yellow-colored underparts with a red rump, black or dark green neck as well as face, a chestnut brown head, and a dark brown-colored crown with white eyes. The females look similar although they have a browner crown and a smaller patch of the dark neck than males. The males have a long bill in the shades of yellow-orange-black with triangular teeth on the upper mandible. The females also have a similar-looking bill which is usually smaller than the males. The young ones are usually pale in color without distinctive teeth on their bill.

How cute are they?

Like the Florida scrub-jay, this species of chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) is absolutely pretty because of its long colorful bill and vibrantly shaded body.

How do they communicate?

This range of dark brown and yellow-colored birds from Brazil and other central and southeastern parts of America are considered to be a highly vocal species. They communicate with their different high-pitched calls that can go by the sounds of 'sneeep', 'pyeee-tyee-tyee-tyee-tyet', and combinations of 'eeee-eee', and 'weet' sounds. They use these mainly during the breeding season and to warn their colony of any danger.

How big is a chestnut-eared aracari?

The chestnut-eared aracari can grow as big as 16.9-18.5 in (43–47 cm). This bird is much bigger than a chipping sparrow.

How fast can a chestnut-eared aracari fly?

These birds have a weak flight and are seldom seen flying with great speed. They usually glide for short distances and fly with a fast wing movement or wingbeats.

How much does a chestnut-eared aracari weigh?

This medium-sized bird has a weight range of 9-11 oz (255-312 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Chestnut-eared aracari is a gender-neutral name used for both genders.

What would you call a baby chestnut-eared aracari?

A chestnut-eared aracari baby is often referred to as a chick.

What do they eat?

Even though this aracari bird species is considered to be omnivorous, the major part of their diet consists of fruits from different kinds of plants as well as flowers and flower nectar. They might additionally be seen feeding on small insects, chicks, or eggs too.

Are they predators?

Their diet consists of bird eggs and fruits, so a few species might think of the chestnut-eared aracari as a predator.

Would they make a good pet?

Absolutely. A chestnut-eared aracari pet is considered to be a common pet in its origin areas, unlike the savannah sparrow. They are considered as a pet due to their human-friendly nature and intelligence.

Did you know...

These aracaris are commonly seen in the regions of Brazil and Argentina, feeding near human settlements. They are comfortable surrounded by humans and are commonly seen eating papayas in the cultivated lands of Brazil.

How smart are chestnut-eared aracaris?

This human-friendly species of aracari is considered to be one of the very few intelligent birds. It can learn tricks and can even be trained with its pooping schedule and behavior when kept as a pet.

What is the difference between toco toucan vs chestnut-eared aracari as a pet?

Out of these two species, the toco toucan is bigger in size than the aracari although due to its behaviorisms, the toco can make a better pet. This is mainly because they are cuddly, not as loud as the aracari, and even though their bill is huge it is not that strong and sharp like the aracari's toothed mandible.

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 dickcissel facts and tricolored heron facts pages.

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