10 of the Most Beautiful Birds in the World

4. Keel-billed Toucan
Keel-billed Toucan Unique Birds
What will strike you first about the Keel-billed toucan is its phenomenal bill, measuring up to a staggering 7 inches! The giant multicolored bill has also earned the keel-billed toucan another name, the “rainbow-billed toucan”, with a fusion of red, green, and yellow pigmentation.

The size of the bill can be fairly deceptive as to its weight. Although it seems heavy, it’s light and hollow. They use these colorful beaks to lure females particularly in the breeding season and also for self-defense.

These beautiful birds have plumage that’s predominantly black, with brilliant yellow feathers in the neck and breast area. Their face is an intricate blend of green and yellow. The bright red under feathers in the tail region completes its distinctive but elegant look.

Birdwatchers looking for these birds should head to the tropical and subtropical rainforests of South and Central America. Venezuela, Colombia, and southern Mexico are the ideal places to spot the keel-billed toucan. The birds can also be more easily sighted at dawn and dusk when they’re most active.

The keel-billed toucan has heavy wings making it a poor flyer. They manage short distances, often hopping from tree-branch to tree-branch within the forest. As they are social birds, you’ll see them moving in small flocks of between six and twelve birds. These groups may at times swell up to thirty birds.

They mostly inhabit holes that occur naturally in the wild or those dug out on trees by woodpeckers. They make loud frog-like calls. Their diet ranges from insects, fruit trees, lizards, to eggs.
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