Poaching May Bring End to Toucans


When people think of birds in the rainforests they might initially picture a toucan. These unique animals have become a symbol of tropical America.

Toucans are vibrant and colorful birds. These beautiful creatures are found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. There are about 40 different types of toucans, including the emerald toucanet, the toco toucan, and the plate-billed mountain-toucan. With a wingspan of two feet, the toco toucan is the largest out of them all. The plate-billed mountain-toucan has a narrow bill and lives in mountain forests. The emerald toucanet is the smallest toucan. It is only as long as a man's foot.

Their colorful beaks also known as bills, make toucans unique. These birds do everything with their bills. For example, toucans use them to pluck and rip their food apart. Like Toucan Sam from the Fruit Loops commercials back in the day, toucans scoop their food into their bills, and tip their heads back to swallow. It has been discovered that the bills of toucans are like radiators, they keep them cool in the tropical air.

Humans find toucans attractive, due to their colorful appearance and habitats. This attraction is not always a good thing, because they are valued to poachers who sell them on the black market.

Toucans are very interesting animals that we should preserve and keep safe, because once they are extinct, they will not come back.

[Source: Simpson Street Free Press ]

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