Aracari
| Aracaris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pale-mandibled aracari Pteroglossus erythropygius | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Ramphastidae |
| Genus: | Pteroglossus Illiger, 1811 |
| Species | |
|
14 (incl. the saffron toucanet), see text. | |
An aracari or araçari (US /ˌɑːrəˈsɑːri/ AHR-ə-SAHR-ee,[1] UK /ˌɑːrəˈsɑːri/ ARR-ə-SAHR-ee or /ˌɑːrəˈkɑːri/ ARR-ə-KAHR-ee)[2] is any of the medium-sized toucans that, together with the saffron toucanet, make up the genus Pteroglossus.
They are brightly plumaged and have enormous, contrastingly patterned bills. These birds are residents in forests and woodlands in the Neotropics.
Taxonomy
One species, the distinctive saffron toucanet, was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Baillonius, but Kimura et al. (2004) showed that it belongs in the genus Pteroglossus.[3]
Species list
- Green aracari, Pteroglossus viridis
- Lettered aracari, Pteroglossus inscriptus
- Red-necked aracari, Pteroglossus bitorquatus
- Ivory-billed aracari, Pteroglossus azara
- Brown-mandibled aracari, Pteroglossus mariae
- Black-necked aracari, Pteroglossus aracari
- Chestnut-eared aracari, Pteroglossus castanotis
- Many-banded aracari, Pteroglossus pluricinctus
- Collared aracari, Pteroglossus torquatus
- Stripe-billed aracari, Pteroglossus sanguineus
- Pale-mandibled aracari, Pteroglossus erythropygius
- Fiery-billed aracari, Pteroglossus frantzii
- Curl-crested aracari, Pteroglossus beauharnaesii
- Saffron toucanet, Pteroglossus bailloni
Behaviour and ecology
At least some species of aracaris are unusual for toucans in that they roost socially throughout the year, up to six adults and fledged young sleeping in the same hole with tails folded over their backs.
Breeding
They are arboreal and nest in tree holes laying 2–4 white eggs.
Food and feeding
All the species are basically fruit-eating, but will take insects and other small prey.
Threats
The ischnoceran louse Austrophilopterus flavirostris is suspected to parasitize most if not all species of aracaris, with the possible exception of the green aracari (Price & Weckstein 2005).
References
- ↑ "Aracari". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc.). Retrieved 2012-04-20.
- ↑ "Definition for aracari". Oxford Dictionaries Online. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
- ↑ "South American Classification Committee". Merge Baillonius into Pteroglossus. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
- BirdLife International 2004. Pteroglossus bailloni. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 27 July 2007.
- Price, Roger D. & Weckstein, Jason D. (2005): The genus Austrophilopterus Ewing (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from toucans, toucanets, and araçaris (Piciformes: Ramphastidae). Zootaxa 918: 1-18. PDF fulltext
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pteroglossus. |
- Extensive Gallery on Toucans
- List of Toucans
- Toucan videos on the Internet Bird Collection