The A riel Toucan - beyond the first generation

Abstract

Breeding toucans has been a hit and
miss proposition with only a handful
of aviculturists pursuing any coordinated
effort with vigor. It is quite
unfortunate since toucans are large,
attractive, and entertaining birds that
make wonderful subjects for exhibition
in zoos (you can actually find
them in a large, planted flight), backyard
aviaries, and they can be tamed
through training or handfeeding and
are thus suitable as pets. They are very
intelligent, hardy, and friendly.
Why then, are so few people working
with these birds? Perhaps this
should change, and hopefully so,
since the importation of toucans hasĀ 

ended. With that in mind, what toucans
are available and which ones are
good breeders? All of the species of
large, black toucans have been bred in
captivity, but only a few have done so
beyond the first generation. The
champion in that competition is the
Ariel Toucan Ramphastos vitellinus
ariel, a subspecies of the Channelbilled
Ramphastos vitellinus vitellinus.
The Ariel toucan was first bred in
captivity by this author in 1978. It has
not been imported since 1983, and
there are only a few pairs in the U.S.,
perhaps as many as 20, of which half
are in zoos and the balance in private
collections. There are undoubtedly

about 500 meters, where they forage
on a wide variety of forest fruits and
insects .

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