Green Aracari
Encyclopedia
The Green Aracari, Pteroglossus viridis, is a toucan
, a near-passerine bird
found in the lowland forests of northeastern South America (the Guiana Shield), in the northeast Amazon Basin
, the Guianas and the eastern Orinoco River drainage of Venezuela. At 30-40 cm. (12-16 in) long and weighing 110-160 grams (3.9-5.7 oz.), it is the smallest aracari in its range, and among the smallest members of the toucan family
.
The species is named for the green feathers covering its back, but males and females can be distinguished by different colors on the head and neck. Males have black feathers on the top, while female's crowns are reddish-brown.
Its diet consists mostly of fruit, including the fruits of Cecropia
trees and the palm Oenocarpus bacaba
. The serrated edges of the green aracari's large bill help the bird to grip and gather fruit. Insects are also an occasional part of the diet, giving the birds protein.
Breeding occurs from February to June. It nests in tree cavities, producing 2–4 white eggs. Both parents cooperate in rearing their young.
In captivity it is the most frequently bred aracari and member of the toucan family and is the most popular as a tame hand fed pet. They require a large cage due to their active nature, and a high fruit diet. The cage also requires toys to prevent boredom. When all these requirements are met the potential owner is rewarded with a loving companion bird for many years.
Toucan
Toucans are members of the family Ramphastidae of near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and about forty different species...
, a near-passerine bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
found in the lowland forests of northeastern South America (the Guiana Shield), in the northeast Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
, the Guianas and the eastern Orinoco River drainage of Venezuela. At 30-40 cm. (12-16 in) long and weighing 110-160 grams (3.9-5.7 oz.), it is the smallest aracari in its range, and among the smallest members of the toucan family
Toucan
Toucans are members of the family Ramphastidae of near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and about forty different species...
.
The species is named for the green feathers covering its back, but males and females can be distinguished by different colors on the head and neck. Males have black feathers on the top, while female's crowns are reddish-brown.
Its diet consists mostly of fruit, including the fruits of Cecropia
Cecropia
Cecropia is a Neotropical genus presently consisting of sixty-one recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees....
trees and the palm Oenocarpus bacaba
Oenocarpus bacaba
Oenocarpus bacaba is a palm native to the Amazon Rainforest, which have edible fruits. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius....
. The serrated edges of the green aracari's large bill help the bird to grip and gather fruit. Insects are also an occasional part of the diet, giving the birds protein.
Breeding occurs from February to June. It nests in tree cavities, producing 2–4 white eggs. Both parents cooperate in rearing their young.
In captivity it is the most frequently bred aracari and member of the toucan family and is the most popular as a tame hand fed pet. They require a large cage due to their active nature, and a high fruit diet. The cage also requires toys to prevent boredom. When all these requirements are met the potential owner is rewarded with a loving companion bird for many years.
External links
- Green Aracari videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for GuyanaGuyanaGuyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
) with ~RangeMap - Green Aracari photo gallery VIREO
- Photo-Medium Res; Article nashvillezoo—"Ramphastidae"
- Photo-High Res; Article & synopsis w/systematics arthurgrosset
