It is the end of the week and the beginning of another long weekend (in North America) so I think this is cause to celebrate.  We are going to celebrate by learning about the Keel Billed Toucan.  What? You have never celebrated with a Toucan before? This is going to be a lot of fun.  Before we “party down” let’s find out a little more about this colourful bird.

The Keel Billed Toucan is also known as the Rainbow Billed Toucan.  Can anyone out there guess as to how they got this name? I have a hunch it has to do with having one of the most colourful beaks in all of the bird world.  Their bills are shades of green, red, yellow and orange.  This amazingly colourful bill can get up to 20 cm (8″) long and is actually about one third of the entire birds length.  Surprisingly this disproportionate bill does not cause the bird to simply fall over all the time.  It would be kind of funny if it did but let’s face it, evolution would have taken care of such a poor design.  Instead, their bill is made of keratin (yes the same stuff our finger nails are made of) which makes it very light.  This is handy since they don’t have to worry about being top heavy all the time.

In order to check out these colourful birds we will need to venture into the jungles of South America.  Oh, don’t be scared, what could possibly harm you in the deep, dark jungles of the rainforest? The good news is, once you find one Keel Billed Toucan you will probably see others.  This particular bird is very sociable and very seldom seen by themselves.  In fact, they are known to live in the holes of the trees with several other Keel Billed Toucans.  You would think that it would be uncomfortable but I guess that is the price you pay to have a fraternity/sorority house.

Keel Billed Toucan Fast Fact – Fitting in with their social “extrovert” lifestyle the Keel Billed Toucan is known to be a playful bird.  They have often been spotted throwing berries at other birds or using their bills to jostle with their Toucan Friends.  Right now, I have this image of birds throwing berries at each other like a snowball fight.

That does it for Friday’s Fun-Filled Fact.  Make sure you tune in on Monday for a holiday special. Have a great weekend everyone!

For some additional Friday fun, check out the video of Pogo the Pet Keel Billed Toucan.  I dare you not to smile when Pogo turns his head to look at the camera.