''Ramphastos'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
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 g ...
s, tropical and subtropical
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 lightweig ...
s from Mexico, and Central and South America (with one species occurring in the Caribbean), which are brightly marked and have enormous, often colourful, bills.
[Short, L. L., & Horne, J. F. M. (2002). Toucans (Ramphastidae). pp. 220–272 in del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. eds. (2002). '' Handbook of the Birds of the World.'' Vol. 7 Jacamars to Woodpecker. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ]
Taxonomy
The
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Ramphastos'' was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...
in the
tenth edition of his ''
Systema Naturae''. The name is from
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
ῥαμφηστης/''rhamphēstēs'' meaning "snouted" (from ῥαμφη/''rhampē'' meaning "bill"). The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
was later designated by
Nicholas Aylward Vigors as the
white-throated toucan (''Ramphastos tucanus'').
Species
The genus contains eight species:
Former species
Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize additional species or subspecies as species belonging to the genus ''Ramphastos'' including:
*
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 ...
(as ''Ramphastos viridis'')
*
Ivory-billed aracari (as ''Ramphastos Azara'')
*
Black-necked aracari (as ''Ramphastos Aracari'')
*
Black-necked aracari (atricollis) (as ''Ramphastos atricollis'')
*
Collared aracari (as ''Ramphastos torquatus'')
*
Saffron toucanet
The saffron toucanet (''Pteroglossus bailloni'') is a species of bird in the family Ramphastidae found in the Atlantic Forest in far north-eastern Argentina, south-eastern Brazil, and eastern Paraguay.
Taxonomy and systematics
This species' sci ...
(as ''Ramphastos Bailloni'')
Description
This genus comprises the largest toucans, ranging from in length.
[ All have black wings, tails and thighs, but the colour of the remaining plumage depends on the exact species involved.
]
Diversity of bills
Keel-billed toucan, costa rica.jpg, Keel-billed toucan
(''Ramphastos sulfuratus'')
Channel-billed toucan t t.jpg, Channel-billed toucan
The channel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos vitellinus'') is a near-passerine bird in the family Ramphastidae found on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and in tropical South America as far south as southern Brazil and central Bolivia.
Taxonomy an ...
(''Ramphastos vitellinus vitellinus'')
Ramphastos dicolorus -Brazil-8.jpg, Green-billed toucan
The green-billed toucan (''Ramphastos dicolorus''), or red-breasted toucan, is a near-passerine bird in the family Ramphastidae, the toucans, toucanets, and aracaris. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Taxonomy and systematics
...
(''Ramphastos dicolorus'')
Ramphastos swainsonii -back -Buffalo Zoo-8a.jpg, Chestnut-mandibled toucan
(''Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii'')
Red-billed toucan 31l07.JPG, White-throated toucan, (''Ramphastos tucanus'')
Toco toucan london.jpg, Toco toucan
The toco toucan (''Ramphastos toco''), also known as the common toucan or giant toucan, is the largest and probably the best known species in the toucan family. It is found in semi-open habitats throughout a large part of central and eastern Sou ...
(''Ramphastos toco'')
Distribution and habitat
They are essentially resident birds, but may take part in minor, local movements (e.g., to lower altitudes in the winter).[
]
Behaviour and ecology
Breeding
They are arboreal
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose nu ...
and nest in tree holes laying 2–4 white eggs.
Food and feeding
All the species are basically fruit-eating, but will take insects and other small prey.[
]
Threats
The ischnoceran louse '' Austrophilopterus cancellosus'' is suspected to parasitize all species of ''Ramphastos'' toucans. Its presence has been confirmed on all species except the citron-throated toucan.[Price, Roger D. & Weckstein, Jason D. (2005). ''The genus ''Austrophilopterus'' Ewing (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from toucans, toucanets, and araçaris (Piciformes: Ramphastidae).'' ]Zootaxa
''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press (Auckland, New Zealand). The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week ...
918: 1–18
PDF fulltext
/ref>
References
External links
Toucans
Bird genera
{{Piciformes-stub