Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco). The Toco toucan is the largest of all the toucans, weighing in at 700 grams. It has a beak nearly ten inches long, which it deftly uses to pick small fruits and berries from bushes and trees. The Toco is not only the largest toucan, but it is the most widespread in the wild, having a range that incorporates most of Brasil, and parts of northern Argentina, eastern Peru, and southern Guyana and Surinam.

The Toco toucan has been bred in captivity for a number of years, and is considered a magnificent display bird in zoos, and is widely enjoyed as an excellent pet. Toco toucans are quite intelligent and are often used in bird shows, where they can be trained to free fly and perform tricks. Several of our Tocos are currently in the free flight show at Disney World's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. The Toco toucan was also featured recently in the movie George of The Jungle. Listen to the Toco Toucan.

Because of their striking appearance and intelligence, Tocos are the most popular of all the large toucans as pets. They are calm, friendly birds and enjoy being handled. They will cuddle in your lap and sit on your shoulder for a ride around the house. They can be taught to play catch, do mid air somersaults, and free flying Tocos can even be potty trained to go only in their cage.

Of all the toucan species, only the Toco has been featured in free flight bird shows, where they have been trained to fly out to an audience member to retrieve dollar bills ( later returning them), and chase a grape slung up into the air for a mid air interception. In addition to the free flying Tocos at Disney World, they have appeared as actors at Universal Studio's live on stage Animal Actors Theater, Sea World's free flight shows, and at a number of other shows in zoos across the USA and around the world.

First captive breeding May 14, 1977; Riverbanks Zoo. CITES status: Appendix II