This might be one of my favorite birds of all South America. They are the largest of the toucan species and consequently they have the largest bill to body size of any bird. They have a complicated and interesting co-dependency with Hyacinth Macaws which are probably my other favorite. Toco Toucans are the most important seed disperser of manduvi trees which in turn is the exclusive tree of choice for nesting Hyacinth Macaws. However, Toco Toucans will also predate on Macaw eggs as well as some chicks. So they have a love/hate relationship. These photos were taken at our Pousada (hotel) in the southern Pantanal.
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