THE YELLOW-THROATED TOUCAN OF HONDURAS

Yellow-throated Toucan is a large, black and yellow toucan most notable for its massive, bicolored bill. It occurs from southeastern Honduras (I took this pic there, in Copan Ruinas) south to western Ecuador, where it occurs in the lowlands and lower montane regions, and again from western Venezuela south to Peru, where it is more restricted to lower montane forests. These two populations also differ slightly in bill color: the bill of the northern population is yellow and dark chestnut, whereas the bill of the Andean birds is yellow black; formerly, some authors classified these as separate species ("Chestnut-mandibled" and "Black-mandibled" toucan, respectively). Additional study is needed to assess the species limits within R. ambiguus. Across its large geographic range, Yellow- throated Toucan is notable for its yelping, far-carrying cry (described by locals as Díos te dé). It is largely frugivorous, but like other toucans, occasionally feeds on insects, lizards, and the eggs of other birds. The nesting habits of Yellow-throated Toucan are little known, and although pit is hunted in many areas, it remains fairly common throughout most of its range.