Take Flight With the Yellow-Throated Toucan
The yellow-throated toucan's oversized, colorful bill has made it one of the world's most popular birds, but they use their 8-inch beaks for much more than catching eyes.
See more of Costa Rica's charismatic wildlife in
Untamed from Nat Geo Wild. Follow filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade and his two best friends as they travel throughout Costa Rica in search of the most diverse, iconic and unexpected animal species the country has to offer.
Transcript
Of approximately 40 species of toucans, six are found in Costa Rica.
They use their beaks for feeding, thermal regulation, and defense.
Toucans are zygodactylous; two toes point forward and two backward.
With a wingspan of 8-10 inches and a bill around 8 inches, it is one one of the largest toucans in the world.
Various toucan populations are threatened by illegal hunting for their meat and the pet trade.