During the dry season, on the topmost boughs of the lofty trees growing
on the gapo lands, large gaily-coloured birds, with huge beaks of the
shape of a banana or pacova, are perched, in bands of five or six,
uttering loud, shrill, and yelping cries, having somewhat the
resemblance to "Tocano! tocano! tocano!" Hence the Indians give them
the name from which we derive _toucan_--a bird especially characteristic
of the forests of Tropical America. The Brazilians also call them
"preacher-birds,"--from their habit of lifting up their beaks, and
clattering them together, and shouting hoarsely. One, mounted higher
than the rest, acts either as the leader of the inharmonious chorus, or
does the duty of sentinel. He keeps a bright look-out on every side,
and as danger approaches, gives a warning cry, when his companions
stretch their necks downwards in an inquisitive manner, to ascertain
what foe is below; and on espying the least movement among the foliage,
fly off to a distance.
Sometimes the whole flock, including the sentinel, set up simultaneously
a deafening loud yell, which can be heard a mile off, and serves to lead
the hunter to their haunts. They are said also to mob any strange bird
which gets among them, surrounding it, and shrieking at it in whichever
way it turns; so that it sees itself surrounded on all sides by huge
snapping bills, and long tails bobbing regularly up and down with
threatening gestures, till it is seized by its foes or manages to make
its escape.
It seems wonderful at first sight that any creature should be encumbered
with so huge a beak; but the toucan knows well how to use it. Though of
great size, it is of light structure, and serrated at the edges. In
some species it attains to a length of seven inches, and a width of more
than two inches. It assists the bird in climbing the branches of the
trees on which he lives, and from which he never willingly descends to
the ground. It enables him to seize the large fruits and small birds
which serve him for food; and enables him to chew the cud--his huge
tooth-bill being useful in holding and re-masticating the food.
As the flowers and fruits which crown the large trees of the forest grow
principally towards the end of slender twigs, which would not bear his
weight; and as he has a heavy body, with feeble organs of flight, he
cannot seize his food on the wing. He therefore sits on some opposite
branch, eyeing the fruit which he thinks will suit his taste, and then
darting off, seizes a mouthful, and returns to his perch.
Though their general diet is fruit, they also devour small birds and
their eggs, as well, probably, as caterpillars, and the larvae of
insects in general. Mr Broderip describes the curious way in which he
saw a toucan seize a small bird, pluck off the feathers, and having
broken the bones of the wings and legs with his beak, continue working
away till he had reduced it to a shapeless mass. He then hopped from
perch to perch, uttering a peculiar hollow, chattering noise, and began
pulling off piece after piece, till he had swallowed the whole, not even
leaving the beak and logs. In a quarter of an hour he had finished,
when he cleansed his bill from the feathers. After a time he returned
his food into his crop, and after masticating the morsel for a while in
his bill, again swallowed it.
The bird mentioned was in captivity; and though his food consisted of
bread, boiled vegetables, and eggs, he showed a decided preference for
animal food when given to him.
The toucan (Ramphastos) belongs to the genus of scansorial birds. There
are several species, five of which inhabit the forests of the Upper
Amazon. The largest of that region is Cuvier's toucan, and is
distinguished from its nearest relatives by the feathers at the bottom
of the back being of a saffron hue instead of red. It lays its eggs in
hollows of trees, at a great height from the ground, and moults between
March and June.
Solitary toucans are sometimes met with, hopping silently up and down
the larger boughs, and peering into the crevices of tree trunks. When
the gapo is flooded, they fly to the drier ground, assembling in large
flocks, when they are easily shot by the hunters. The birds are then
very fat, and their flesh sweet and tender.
In some species the bill is nearly as large and as long as the body
itself. It is light, cellular, and irregularly notched at the edge,
having both mandibles arched towards the tip. The tongue is also of a
singular form, being narrow and elongated, and literally barbed like a
feather. The feet are short--formed, like those of parrots, rather for
grasping than for climbing; the tail long, and the wings moderate. It
has a straight but laborious flight, and seems awkward, except on the
boughs, when it moves lightly and actively from branch to branch. When
eating, it throws up its head, apparently to allow the food to fall down
its throat with greater ease. When the toucan is at roost, it turns its
long tail directly over its back, and thrusts its beak beneath the wing,
so as to appear very much like a large mass of feathers.
The common or crested toucan (Ramphastos dicolorus) inhabits chiefly the
lower part of the Amazon. It is about eighteen inches in length, of a
black colour, with a gloss of green. The cheeks, throat, and fore part
of the breast are either of a sulphur or orange-yellow. Across the
lower part of the breast is a broad crimson bar. The rump is crimson or
orange-yellow. The bill is of a dark olive-green, with a pale yellow
base, bounded by a thick bar.
The tocano pacova has a beak of a rich glowing orange, with a large
patch near the tip, a black line round the base, and a number of dark
red bars upon the sides. The body and head are black, the throat and
cheeks white; while the breast is of a yellow brimstone hue, edged with
a line of blood-red. The upper tail-coverts are greyish-white, and the
under deep crimson. A large orange circle surrounds the eye, and within
it is a second circle of cobalt-blue. A green ring incloses the pupil,
with a narrow yellow ring round it.
Cuvier's toucan inhabits the woods of the Upper Amazon. There are
several smaller toucans, one of which (the Pteroglossus Havirostris) has
the most beautiful plumage,--its breast being adorned with broad belts
of rich crimson and black.
The most curious, however, is the curly-crested toucan (Pteroglossus
Beauharnaisii). The feathers on its head consist of thin, horny blades
of a lustrous black colour, curled up at the ends, and resembling
shavings of steel. The curly crest assumes, indeed, the grotesque form
of a coachman's wig dyed black, and produced apparently by the tongs of
the hair-dresser.
None of the smaller species utter the loud yelping notes of the larger.
The cries of the curly-crested toucan are very singular, resembling
somewhat the croaking of frogs.
Mr Bates had one day wounded one; and on attempting to seize it, it set
up a loud scream. In an instant, as if by magic, the wood seemed alive
with its companions, who descended towards him, hopping from bough to
bough, some of them swinging on the loops of the lianas and sipos,
croaking and fluttering their wings like so many furies. Had he had a
long stick in his hand, he could have knocked over several of them. The
screaming of their companion which he had killed having ceased, they
remounted the trees; and before he could reload his gun, which he had
left at a little distance, they had all disappeared.
He possessed a tame toucan of one of the large species, which was
allowed to go free about the house. Having chastised it for mounting
his work-table, the first time it made the attempt, it never again
repeated it. It slept on the top of a box in a corner of the room, with
its long tail laid right over its back, and its beak thrust underneath
its wing. It ate of everything--beef, turtle, fish, farina, fruit--and
was a constant attendant at meals. It learned the hour to a nicety, and
he found it difficult to keep the bird away from the dining-room at
these hours. When it had become somewhat impudent and troublesome, he
tried to shut it out in the back-yard; but Tocano used to climb the
fence, and hop round by a long circuit, making its appearance with the
greatest punctuality as the meal was placed on the table. One day it
was stolen, and given up for lost; but two days afterwards it stepped
through the doorway at the dinner-hour, with its old gait and sly
magpie-like expression, having escaped from the house of the person who
had stolen it, situated at the further end of the village.