Guianan Toucanet
Selenidera piperivora
Small toucan of rainforest canopy that is most often seen at fruiting trees at forest edge. Smaller than an aracari and tends not to occur in large groups. Sexes dissimilar, unlike other toucans in range; from below, note mostly black (male) or dark gray (female) plumage and colorful facial pattern. Reaches from a perch to pluck fruit similar to other toucans. Calls include croaking and wailing sounds which may not initially be recognized as coming from a bird.
Identification
The Guianan toucanet is 33 to 35 cm (13 to 14 in) long. Males weigh 129 to 159 g (4.6 to 5.6 oz) and females 132 to 165 g (4.7 to 5.8 oz). Males and females have the same bill pattern but the female's bill is shorter. The bill has a yellowish line at its base. Both the maxilla and mandible are mostly black with red bases; the red extends further on the mandible. Both sexes have bare blue skin around the eye and a tuft of yellow feathers behind the blue. Males are black on the crown, nape, throat, breast and belly. They have a gold "collar" on their upper back; the rest of their upperparts are green. Their tail is green with chestnut tips to the feathers. Their undertail coverts are red. Adult females have a black cap and chestnut nape and upper back with only a hint of yellow collar. Their underparts are gray to green-gray with a green-yellow belly. Immatures are similar to adults but duller overall and with their plumage and bill patterns less distinct.
Taxonomy
The Guianan toucanet was originally described as Ramphastos piperivorus It was later named Selenidera culik but following early 21st century scholarship achieved its current (2022) binomial Selenidera piperivora.<p>The Guianan toucanet is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Selenidera piperivora
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Ramphastidae
- Genus
- Selenidera
Range and habitat
The Guianan toucanet is found from extreme southeastern Venezuela east through the Guianas into northern Brazil and south to the Amazon River between the Rio Negro and the Amazon's mouth in the state of Amapá. It inhabits moist forest including gallery forest in savannas and favors primary forest over selectively logged areas. In elevation it usually occurs up to 600 m (2,000 ft) but is found as high as 900 m (3,000 ft) in Venezuela and Suriname.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Guianan toucanet is believed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The Guianan toucanet's diet is mostly fruit, and it also takes insects. There is some evidence of coevolution with the Oenocarpus bacaba palm. It usually forages in pairs or small groups, and usually from the forest's mid level to the sub-canopy.<p>The Guianan toucanet breeds between March and May in Venezuela and the Guianas and from April to July in Brazil. Males courtship-feed females. It nests in woodpecker holes, sometimes evicting the maker. The clutch size is two or three eggs. The incubation time in captivity is about 16 days but is unknown in the wild; the time to fledging is not known.<p>The Guianan toucanet has a wide variety of vocalizations but uses them infrequently. Its song is a "slow series of guttural, frog-like 'arrouk' notes". Its basic call is a "rattle, 'trrrr-trrrr-trrrr...', joined with rising squawk, rooster-like at times, 'kaaaaaaiiiiii'". It also makes "various soft rattles and other calls, some aggressive, others used in courtship feeding and at [the] nest."
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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