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White-throated Toucan


White-throated Toucan
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2377 W: 94 N: 5456] (17412)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-17
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D70, AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6 G, Digital JPEG
Exposure: f/4.2, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Birds of Ecuador [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-03-14 12:48
Viewed: 1706
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The White-throated Toucan, Ramphastos tucanus, is a near-passerine bird which breeds from in tropical South America east from Colombia and Bolivia to southern and eastern Brazil.

Appearance and behaviour
The White-throated Toucan is a resident breeder in moist lowland forest. The 2-4 white eggs are laid in an unlined cavity high in a decayed section of a living tree, or in an old woodpecker nest in a dead tree.
Both sexes incubate the eggs for at 14-15 days, and the toucan chicks remain in the nest after hatching. They are blind and naked at birth, and have short bills and specialised pads on their heels to protect them from the rough floor of the nest.

Like other toucans, the White-throated Toucan is brightly marked and has a huge bill. It is 61 cm long and weighs 600 g.
The sexes are alike in appearance, mainly black plumaged with a white throat and breast bordered below with a narrow red line. The rump is bright yellow and the lower abdomen is red. The bare skin around the eye is blue. The bill has a yellow tip, upper ridge and base of the upper mandible, and the base of the lower mandible is blue.
Juvenile birds are sooty-black, and have duller plumage. They are fed by the parents for several weeks after leaving the nest.

The White-throated Toucan is very similar to the closely related Channel-billed Toucan, but the latter is smaller, has a red rump, and some races have a yellow breast. The call is the best distinction between the species. White-throated has a yelping eeoo, hue hue, whereas Channel-billed has a croaking song.

Small flocks or pairs of birds move through the forest with a heavy, apparently weak, undulating flight, rarely travelling more than 100 m at a time. This species is primarily an arboreal fruit-eater, but will also take insects, lizards, bird eggs, and other small vertebrate prey. This noisy species usually perches higher than Channel-billed or Keel-billed Toucans.

Captive birds
When pulled from the nest and hand fed as babies White-throated Toucans can eventually make pets. They do however require spacious cages to hop back and forth from because of their active nature, and require toys in their cage to prevent boredom. Their high fruit diet and sensitivity to hemochromotosis (iron storage disease) make them difficult for the novice keeper to maintain. Also they fling their fruit so a potential owner should be prepared to clean up dried fruit. They are expensive birds to maintain. This is the loudest of the toucans it has a whistling vocalization that can be irritating to some people. (Wikipedia)
pvs, patrickb, livios has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • trinko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 593 W: 79 N: 323] (4314)
  • [2007-03-14 13:06]

nice colors good focus interesting bird pose. i'd lighten it a bit though.

It's a very beautiful bird isn't it Peter. Well done!!

I reckon its got the 2nd most beautiful beak in the world ....only to the Puffin. But then someone may know better?? If so, let's see it!

TFS Peter!

Keep them coming.

Sandy

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1168 W: 261 N: 3035] (13835)
  • [2007-03-14 14:44]

Ha peter,

een mooie opname van deze kleurrijke toekan,scherp en gedetaileerd,mijn complimenten,groetjes,

Paul

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3062 W: 231 N: 6152] (21016)
  • [2007-03-15 1:27]

What a beauty, Peter.
I love the colors.
He sure turned his head just right for you to capture his gorgeous beak.
TFS. : )

Hi Peter, a really beautiful bird. Good POV and good focus.
Well done
Regards
Patrick

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2007-03-17 0:57]

Peter, I do enjoy shooting toucans.

Great image with vivid colors and great saturation.

I like pose and exposure too.

Hellow Peter,
Thanx for the interesting notes as well as a high quality photo, nice pose and explicit detail showing the numerous colours and patterns on the toucan.
erwin...

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