Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Yellow-eared Toucan
- Scientific name: Yellow-eared toucanet (Selenidera spectabilis)
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Family and genus: Toucanidae, order Toucanidae, genus Toucan
Vital signs data
- Body length: 30-35 cm
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
The Yellow-eared Toucan is distributed in Central America (located between North and South America, including Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, etc.) and South America (including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands).
Yellow-eared toucan is typically found at altitudes of 400–1,000 meters, mainly inhabiting lowland rainforests, and sometimes appearing in open areas with sparse trees nearby.
Appearance
The Yellow-eared Toucan measures 30-35 cm in length, typically with a dark green upper body, a deep blue belly, and bare blue-green skin around the eyes. It has a reddish-brown head and citrus-yellow stripes on its lower back and flanks. The female's plumage is paler than the male's, with the black areas appearing brown. It has red undertail coverts. It is named for its golden ear coverts. Sexes are distinct; chicks can be sexed by their plumage around four weeks old. It has a relatively large beak, which is actually quite light, not as heavy as it appears. It has a thin keratinous sheath, is hollow inside, and contains numerous fine bony struts. The tongue is long, the beak edge is distinctly serrated, and there are no bristles around the base of the beak. The skin on the bare areas of the face and lower jaw is usually brightly colored.
Detailed introduction
The Yellow-eared toucan, scientifically known as *Selenidera spectabilis*, is a climbing bird.
The Yellow-eared Toucan's call sounds like a frog's croak. Omnivorous, it feeds on fruits, seeds, and insects, and is sometimes considered a pest in orchards.
Yellow-eared toucans typically choose trees with good wood to dig burrows, with the opening just wide enough for the adult bird to squeeze in, and the burrow depth ranging from 17 cm to 2 meters. If a suitable burrow is found near the base of the tree trunk, they usually choose that burrow first and then dig further. Burrowing is an important part of their breeding behavior. The nest has no lining; a clutch of 1-5 eggs is laid on sawdust or a rough layer of regurgitated seeds, which accumulates as nest building progresses. Incubation takes about 16 days; the chicks hatch naked and take at least 3 weeks to open their eyes. They leave the nest and fly away after 45 days, after which the young birds begin their independent lives, nesting among foliage.
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