Channel Bill Toucans - Beginner's Delight

(by Jerry Jennings, Emerald Forest Bird Gardens, Fallbrook, California)

Channel Bill Toucans (Ramphastos vitellinus) take their name from a grooved indentation running along the side of the upper mandible just below the culmen. The name is also used to describe a group of toucans called the Channel-Keel Billed group, which includes the Ariel (R.v. ariel) and Keel Bill (R. sulphuratus).

The Channel Bill is found throughout northern South America from Venezuela eastward through Guyana, Surinam, and Brazil. It is a lowland species inhabiting tropical wet forest from sea level up to approximately 1,000 meters in elevation. It is a commonly encountered species throughout its range and may be seen in small groups or pairs.

As with all other species of toucans, Channel Bills nest in tree hollows, primarily in dead trees. These hollows vary in depth from a few inches below the entrance hole to a couple of feet. They are often abandoned woodpecker nest cavities, which the Channel Bills frequently remodel to the best of their ability, depending to a large extent on the softness of the wood. Toucans have only limited ability to dig in wood.

Channel Bills eat a wide variety of fruits and berries, perhaps over a hundred different species during the course of a year. They also consume some insect or animal matter on an opportunistic basis. Such things as the nestlings and eggs of other passerine birds are occasionally taken, though insects are probably 90% of the live food consumed, and this during the nesting cycle.

Channel Bills have been the most commonly imported toucan during the late 1980s and first two years of the 1990s. Unfortunately, with the passage of the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992, the importation of Channel Bills is no longer permitted, However, they are still relatively abundant in captivity and they are prolific breeders as toucans go, thus they are available at a reasonable price.

Attractive birds, the Channel Bills feature a bright orange and white breast, with the central portion of the breast showing the orange. The beak is black with a prominent blue band at the base. The large bare skin area around the eye is brilliant blue, the rump and vent are red. The remainder of the bird is black as is typical of all the large lowland toucans.

While Channel Bills enjoy a tremendous selection of fruits and insects in the wild, it is not necessary to duplicate same in captivity. They do quite nicely on a mixed fruit diet of such things as papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, bananas, apples, pears, etc. The only fruits not suitable for these birds are citrus (oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, etc.) pineapple and tomatoes. These fruits are too high in acid and contribute to the accumulation of iron in the liver, pancreas and spleen. Iron deposition in these organs can lead to an overload, causing fibrosis and/ or cirrhosis, and the death of the bird - a disease known as "iron storage disease" or hemochromatosis.

In addition to the fresh fruits, we offer a low iron dog kibble, Wayne's Bite (size), which provides the necessary protein, vitamins and minerals. Wayne's is the lowest in iron content (80 parts per million) of any dog kibble we have found and is as low as any specially designed commercial softbill fare on the market. A low iron, low citric acid diet seems to minimalize iron storage disease in toucans and, fortunately Channel Bills only rarely suffer from this.

Housing for Channel Bills should be quite easy to provide in southern California. These birds will tolerate temperatures down to 25degrees F at night if properly acclimated. Extreme highs are more of a concern and the birds must be provided shade. If temperatures are known to rise above 95degrees, then misters on top of the aviary would be appropriate, and definitely required at temperatures above 102 degrees.

Aviary size should be as large as possible. While these birds have been bred in flights no more than 8' x 12' x 6', we prefer to use flights 12' x 24'' x 8'. These flights are open except for the rear, which is where the nest and feed areas are located. The shelter provides protection from foul weather. Perches are placed at opposite ends of the flight to encourage flying. These birds are quite active and benefit from the exercise.

As mentioned above, toucans are cavity nesters and will only nest in such. The preferred nest is a hollow log, constructed from four foot sections of palm trees, which we obtain from our friendly neighborhood tree trimmer. We then hollow these out with a chain saw to a depth of 20 inches and diameter of 8 inches. A small entrance (4 inches square) is made on the side near the top, then the open top is capped with a piece of plywood cut to size. The birds do not use nesting material of any kind and will remove all material put into the nest. In fact, they will dig the nest even deeper, once the wood dries out and becomes softer. Palm logs are used over other types of wood because: a) they are soft and easy to hollow out, and b) the activity stimulates the birds to breed. Wood nest boxes have been used occasionally, but require a concave bottom, a la Budgie box style. A ladder inside the box is also necessary.

Once the above requirements are met, breeding Channel Bills is relatively simple. They are more likely to breed than many of the more difficult parrot species. They lay three to four elliptical pure white eggs, which are incubated for 16 days. The young hatch naked with eyes closed, At about three weeks of age, eyes open and feathers begin to sprout. At six weeks of age they are beginning to fledge, and are out of the nest no later than seven weeks of age. They will be eating in their own 10 to 15 days thereafter.

Channel Bills are easy to work with and are still readily available. While most parrot species have been declining in value, toucans have been increasing dramatically. Don't miss the boat with these beautiful birds which, incidentally, make wonderful pets, too.

Copyright © 2007 Avicultural Society of America. All rights reserved.
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