Abstract
The seven species of lowland toucanets
of the genus Selenidera
occupy the mid and upper level canopies
of the lowland tropical rainforests
of Central and South America.
These birds range from central Honduras
south to northern Argentina.
None are found west of the Andes or
above an elevation of 3,000 feet. Five
of the seven species are found in
areas adjacent to the Amazon River.
For example, the river itself separates
three species to the north, and two
to the south. The remaining two species
are found in Central America
(Yellow-eared Toucanet) and southeastern
Brazil (Spot-billed Toucanet).
Lowland toucanets are very similar
to each other. The males of all species
are black below and green on
top. They differ from each other primarily
in beak and eye color. All have
yellow ear coverts and a yellow collar,
with the exception of the isolated
Yellow-eared Toucanet, which lacks
the collar. All species are dimorphic.
The females differ from males in that
five of the seven species have brown
on the head and abdomen. The
remaining two, the Yellow-eared
Toucanet and Guyana Toucanet, are
unique.
The Yellow-eared Toucanet (Selenidera
spectabilis) exhibits the least
dimorphism in that the female is all
black in color like the male, with the
exception of a chestnut nuchal collar.
In the Guyana Toucanet (Selenidera
culik), the female has a black
cap, chestnut nuchal collar and a silver
gray breast. This makes it the
most attractive of the lowland toucanets,
not only among females, but
with males as well. In fact, it evokes
the colors reminiscent of the Mountain
Toucans (Andigena).
The Guyana Toucanet is different
than other members of the Selenidera
genus in that it has a much longer
beak (three inches) and shorter
wings and tail. The beak is basally
brick red and tipped in black. The
large, bare orbital area is a light blue
and the eye is red. The male has a
glossy black head and breast, with
dark green back, wings and tail-the
tail is tipped with chestnut. The male
sports bright yellow ear coverts that
stick out slightly from each side of
the head. It has a quarter inch wide
orange-yellow collar on the nape of
the neck. The undertail coverts and
vent are bright red, and the legs are
bluish grey. The female differs in that
she has a silver-grey breast, tinged
with yellowish green on the lower
abdomen. She has a black cap and
chestnut nuchal collar. She lacks the
yellow collar, but does have yellow
ear coverts.
The pair of Guyana Toucanets were
acquired in 1987 from an importer in
Los Angeles, and were housed together
in an 8' x 12' x 6' high aviary
for two years. This flight was heavily
planted and the birds were not disturbed.
In 1988, and again in 1989,
the hen laid several eggs. These,
however, always disappeared. In the
summer of 1990, the birds were
moved to their new location in Fallbrook,
California where they were
placed in a similar sized aviary. The
height, however, was increased to
eight feet. Shortly thereafter the male
died and was replaced with a new
bird.
Since toucans prefer to nest in hollow
logs rather than boxes, a log nest
made from a section of palm tree
trunk was placed in the corner of the
shelter on a platform high enough
that the top of the log was only a few
inches below the aviary ceiling. The
log chamber was made by using a
chainsaw to hollow out the center
from one end to a depth of 18 inches.
The end was then capped with a
piece of plywood, and a small (2-1 /2"
dia.) entrance was made in the side.
This entrance hole was made by
using a door knob saw attached to a
hand drill. Thus, the log nest mimics
the natural nest these birds would
use in the wild.
The pair went in and out of their
nest log on ·many occasions in 1991.
Then, in early 1992, they began to
spend long· periods of time in the
nest. In late April, it was apparent
they were sitting on eggs. The nest
was then investigated using a small
ladies compact mirror and flashlight.
The method was to insert the mirror
into the nest entrance and then shine
the light on the mirror, which, in
turn, illumiated the nest chamber.
There were three eggs, white and
oval in shape. These eggs hatched
beginning on May 10, 1992 . At
approximately four weeks of age, the
babies were removed, after a nest
inspection revealed that the nest was
extremely dirty. It contained caked
fruit -and feces on the bottom. Toucans
are usually good housekeepers,
but this nest was the dirtiest I've ever
encountered and to leave them in the
nest would have risked their health
and the nest's success.
Upon removal, the babies were
already showing enough feathers to
determine that they were both males.
This was a turn of good fortune ,
since we had two extra females
awaiting mates. The babies were
handfed for approximately four more
weeks on a " toucan milkshake" consisting
of 50% Wayne's Dog Kibble
and 50% fruit mix. The fruit mix consisted
of papaya, cantaloupe, red
grapes, cooked beets and cooked carrots.
The dog kibble was soaked and
blended into a puree, then an equal
amount of fruit mix, by volume, was
added. All of this was blended into
the milkshake, which was then
stored in the refrigerator. The mix
was made up fresh once each day.
For each feeding , a glass was filled
with the amount of food needed to
feed all the toucans being handfed. It
was then placed in the microwave
for twenty seconds, or enough time
to bring it up to room temperature.
The birds were then fed every two
hours from seven in the morning
until nine-thirty at night.
The two males were kept in separate
cages after they were weaned.
The first male was introduced to an
outside flight on August 10, 1992 and
his prospective mate placed with
him a week later. At first they
avoided each other, sitting at opposite
ends of the flight. Whenever the
male approached the female, she
would fly away. After a week, the
female became less reticent and they
are now enjoying each other's company.
At night, the male sleeps in the
palm log while the female remains
outside. The second male was introduced
to his new flight on August
24th and will meet his mate shortly.
The breeding pair has not recycled
since the young males were pulled.
They have been observed inspecting
the nest, which was cleaned, remodeled
and placed back in the flight.
There are only a few pairs of Guyana
Toucanets in the United States at
the present time. They were never
imported before 1987 and then only
a few pairs have come in at one time.
There are less than 20 known pairs in
avicultural hands. The Guyana Toucanet's
only relative in captivity, the
Spot-billed Toucanet (Selenidera
maculirostris), has proven itself to
be the most prolific Ramphastid in
captivity. This lends hope that other
breeders will start reproducing the
Guyana Toucanet in numbers. •