General Information
These birds normally travel in small flocks, usually consisting of up to 10 birds. They quickly move through the forests with a rapid direct flight.
Physical Description
Like other toucans, the Fiery-billed Aracari is brightly marked and has a large bill. The adult is normally 43 cm long and weighs 250 g.
The sexes are alike in appearance, both with a black head and chest and dark olive green upperparts. They also each have a red rump and upper tail. The underparts are bright yellow, with a round black spot in the centre of the breast and a red band across the belly.
Diet
This species mainly feeds on arboreal fruit, which is fruit from trees. It will also ingest insects, lizards, bird eggs, and other small prey as well.
Habitat
The Fiery-billed Aracari is a near-passerine bird which breeds only on the Pacific slopes of southern Costa Rica and western Panama.
Reproduction
The Fiery-billed Aracari is a common resident breeder in lowland forests and clearings. It lays two white eggs in an old woodpecker nest, 6-30 m high in a tree. Both sexes incubate the eggs for about 16 days, and the toucan chicks remain in the nest after hatching. They babies are blind and naked at birth, and have short bills and special padding on their heels to protect from the rough floor of the nest. They are fed by both parents, assisted by up to three other adults, probably from a previous brood, and fledge after about 6 weeks, with continuous feeding by the adults several weeks after leaving.
