Fiery-billed Aracari

Overview

The fiery-billed aracari, Pteroglossus frantzii, is a near-passerine bird belonging to the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is a year-round resident found in the wet forests of Costa Rica and Panama.

Identification

• Approximately 45 cm long with a bright yellow underbody featuring a red belly band and a central black breast spot.
• Black head and throat contrasting with a chestnut collar on the nape and bare red skin around the eyes.
• Large, vibrant bill with a red maxilla, black culmen and mandible, yellow tip, and a vertical ivory line at the base.
• Vocalisations include high-pitched 'pseep' to 'sis-sik' series, along with croaking and soft rattling calls.

Habitat

Inhabits the interior and edges of wet primary and secondary forests in Costa Rica and Panama. Elevation ranges from sea level to 1,200 m, though occasionally reaching up to 1,800 m.

Diet

Primarily feeds on fruit, supplemented by large insects, eggs, nestlings, and other small vertebrates. Forages mostly in or near the canopy, gleaning by stretching, bending, or hanging upside down from perches.

Did you know?

This species typically nests in woodpecker holes that can be as high as 30 m above the ground, evicting the original occupants if necessary.