Chestnut-tipped Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus derbianus
Small, green toucan found in cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes. Plumage is mostly green, but note white throat, chestnut tip to the tail, and mostly black bill with thin, white line at base. Some birds have red patches at the tip and base of the bill. Similar to Southern Emerald-Toucanet but lacks yellow in the bill. Usually found high in the canopy, and often gives a repetitive, raspy croak.
Identification
The chestnut-tipped toucanet is 33 to 41 cm (13 to 16 in) long and weighs 141 to 262 g (5.0 to 9.2 oz). Its bill is deep red and black with a vertical white line at its base and grooves on the maxilla. (Some individuals have an all-black bill). The sexes are alike. Their plumage is generally green, with a bluish nape, a white throat, and wide chestnut tips on the tail feathers. The red-brown eye has some blue below it.
Taxonomy
The chestnut-tipped toucanet is monotypic. However, what is now the tepui toucanet (A. whitelianus) and it were for a time considered conspecific. They were separated by major taxonomic systems beginning in 2011. The chestnut-tipped and groove-billed toucanets (A. sulcatus) form a superspecies.
- Scientific name
- Aulacorhynchus derbianus
- Authority
- Gould, 1835
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Ramphastidae
- Genus
- Aulacorhynchus
Range and habitat
The chestnut-tipped toucanet is found along the east slope of the Andes from extreme southern Colombia through Ecuador and Peru into western Bolivia as far as Cochabamba Department. It primarily inhabits subtropical montane cloudforest, but also tropical forest in Bolivia. In elevation it mostly ranges between 600 and 2,000 m (2,000 and 6,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The chestnut-tipped toucanet is believed to be non-migratory.<p>The chestnut-tipped toucanet forages mostly in the canopy, typically in pairs but occasionally in groups as large as 10 individuals. Its diet is not known in detail but appears to be mostly fruits and their seeds with some insects also taken.<p>The chestnut-tipped toucanet's breeding season appears to be from May to October. Nothing else is known about its breeding biology.<p>The chestnut-tipped toucanet's song is an "often long series of grrrrump to kwuk notes", which pairs often sing together. It also makes "'ggg-rgg', 'ngg-ngg', and rattling 'bbdt-bbdt' notes."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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