The green araçari (''Pteroglossus viridis''), is a

toucan Toucans (, ) are members of the Neotropical near passerine bird family Ramphastidae. The Ramphastidae are most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five ge ...

, a

near-passerine Near passerines and higher land-bird assemblage are terms of traditional, pre-cladistic taxonomy that have often been given to tree-dwelling birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines (order Passeriformes) owing to mor ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

. It is found in the lowland forests of northeastern South America (the

Guiana Shield The Guiana Shield (french: Plateau des Guyanes, Bouclier guyanais; nl, Hoogland van Guyana, Guianaschild; pt, Planalto das Guianas, Escudo das Guianas; es, Escudo guayanés) is one of the three cratons of the South American Plate. It is a ...

), in the northeast

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

, the

Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

and the eastern

Orinoco River The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wor ...

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 An aracari or araçari ( , , ) is any of the medium-sized toucans that, together with the saffron toucanet, make up the genus ''Pteroglossus''. They are brightly plumaged and have enormous, contrastingly patterned bills. These birds are reside ...

in its range, and among the smallest members of the toucan family.

Taxonomy and systematics

Pteroglossus viridis at the Denver Zoo-2012 03 12 0992

The green aracari was originally classified in the genus ''

Ramphastos ''Ramphastos'' is a genus of toucans, tropical and subtropical near passerine birds from Mexico, and Central and South America (with one species occurring in the Caribbean), which are brightly marked and have enormous, often colourful, bills.Shor ...

''. The species is named for the green feathers covering its back.

Description

Males' crowns are black, while females' are reddish brown."Green Aracari Fact Sheet, Lincoln Park Zoo"
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Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

Breeding occurs from February to June. It nests in tree cavities, producing 2–4 white eggs. The parents cooperate in rearing their young.

Food and feeding

Its diet consists mostly of fruit, including the fruits of ''

Cecropia ''Cecropia'' is a Neotropical genus consisting of 61 recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees. The genus consists of pioneer trees in the more or less humid parts of the Neotropics, with the majority of the speci ...

'' trees and the palm ''

Oenocarpus bacaba ''Oenocarpus bacaba'' is an economically important monoecious fruiting palm native to South America and the Amazon Rainforest, which has edible fruits. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. It can reach ...

''. 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.

Pets

In captivity it is the most frequently bred member of the toucan family and is the most popular as a tame hand-fed pet. It requires a large cage and toys to prevent boredom due to its active nature, and a high-fruit diet. When all these requirements are met it is an affectionate companion for many years.

References

External links

*
Green aracari videos
on the Internet Bird Collection

(for

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

) with ~RangeMap *
Photo-Medium Res
nashvillezoo—"Ramphastidae"
Photo-High Res
arthurgrosset {{Taxonbar, from=Q1067850

green aracari The green araçari (''Pteroglossus viridis''), is a toucan, a near-passerine bird. It is found in the lowland forests of northeastern South America (the Guiana Shield), in the northeast Amazon Basin, the Guianas and the eastern Orinoco River drain ...

Birds of the Guianas Birds of the Amazon Basin