Abstract
B ird breeding is an activity that can be both fun and financially rewarding at the same time. The more birds one raises, the more likely will it be financially rewarding, but the more exotic and challenging species provide more pleasure and sense of accomplishment.
As a budding aviculturist, I could readily see the potential of the production of a thousand Zebra Finches a month, and especially so since my first pair seemed capable of producing sons and daughters on a biblical scale! It didn't immediately occur to me that it might be a greater effort to reach large numbers and the repetitive malaise that accompanies such methods remained hidden from my consciousness. It seemed that one could not easily reproduce a bird that was both challenging, fun, and financially rewarding.
Toucans certainly do not come to mind as a "bread and butter" bird, or a species that gets one back to the "basics." With those thoughts in mind, Emerald Forest Bird Gardens was to be a haven for toucans dependent for their support on the production of parrots. WRONG!
Several things have transpired in the intervening years. Parrots have substantially and dramatically declined in value, while softbills, and toucans in particular, have increased. The laws of
supply and demand account for most of this, and today toucans are the "bread and butter" of Emerald Forest Bird Gardens.
While the large toucans are expensive and not easy to obtain or breed, the small toucanets and especially the aracaris are exactly the opposite! There is much to recommend the aracari, of which there are three species readily available at reasonable prices. These are the Green Aracari, the smallest toucan weighing on average 140 grams, the Collared Aracari, and the Black-necked Aracari.
Aracaris have the dual qualities of making interesting and colorful aviary
occupants as well as affectionate pet bird companions. In both capacities, they will delight the aviculturist with their behaviors.
Aracaris do well in mixed species flights and will not molest other species of similar size or larger. They also have the added advantage of making wonderful pets. As handfed babies, they develop into intelligent, playful, and affectionate pets that are readily trained to play catch, fly to and from their owners on command, and to potty in their cage. While they do not learn to talk, they pretty much are what one could hope for in a quality family companion.
Aracaris' qualities as pet or aviary birds position them to fill a broad demand, which is one of the three key elements necessary to their considera-, ti on as a financially rewarding species· with which to work. Another necessary element is that there must be an actual demand, which currently far exceeds the supply, and the final element to this equation is the requirement of reproductive reliability.
Aracaris reproduce seasonally from early March through late August. It is common for them to multiple clutch, and when young are continuously pulled for hand rearing, parents will nearly always recycle three times per season and are capable of recycling up to five times.
Clutch size varies from 2-3 young, while occasional clutches of one to four young are possible. Aracari incubation lasts 16 days for all species, and young are weaned in 50-60 days, whether parent reared or handfed. Once young have been pulled from the nest (should be done between two and three weeks of age) good pairs will be back on eggs within two weeks. Simple math indicates potential production of six chicks or more per season. It is easy to see that one pair of aracaris could equal 1,000 Zebra Finches, or 300 Cockatiels in revenue, while taking up far less space and time.
Diet for aracaris consists of pellets and fruit. A low iron pellet is required for these birds along with a variety of fruit, such as papaya, grapes, apple, banana, pear, blueberries, raspberries etc. Citrus fruits are too acidic and should be avoided. Simple avicultural practices followed with care will contribute to making aracaris husbandry a rewarding activity in all the facets aviculture has to offer.