I’d woken up at the crack of dawn in Puerto Nariño; a glorious Colombian jungle town nestled on a bend of the Amazon River, says Vicky Maskell. It was another hot day, and the deep earthy smell of the jungle lingered all around me. I was there to celebrate my birthday – a rather hasty […]
Tag: toucan
“Its iridescent green head and wings, spiky crest, blood-red breast, and flamboyant twin tail plumes, is like a carnival dancer.” In the forests of Guatemala lives an elusive creature few will ever see
The sneeze began as a tickle in my right nostril. It was almost imperceptible, like a mosquito landing lightly on my arm, ready to strike. Or a lone butterfly flapping its wings, producing a breeze that would unfurl into a tornado; a tidal wave of latent energy that demanded to be unleashed. Some people can […]
Richest nations ‘exporting extinction’ with demand for beef, palm oil and timber
The world’s wealthiest nations are “exporting extinction” by destroying 15 times more biodiversity internationally than within their own borders, research shows. Most wildlife habitats are being destroyed in countries with tropical forest, according to the study which looked at how wealthy countries’ demand for products such as beef, palm oil, timber and soya beans is […]
Large birds can boost forest carbon storage — if deforestation doesn’t interfere
Think of a toucan and you’ll probably picture a toco toucan, with its orange bill and white throat. The largest member of the toucan family, the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) can have a wingspan of more than 1 meter (3 feet) and fly more than 90 meters. On these journeys, it often carries something very […]
A Mouth Full
Factoid: The Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), also known as Sulfur-breasted Toucan or Rainbow-billed Toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize. A very productive morning, very close to Nicaragua . Seems the keel billed mafia, loves to fly in invade the berry laden trees. A […]
Tucán grande (Toco Toucan)
Esta es la única foto de un Tucán grande que pude obtener en El Soberbio, estaban muy perseguidos por otras aves y no permanecían mucho tiempo posados en el mismo lugar; solo por este y por su primo menor (el Tucán pico verde) valió la pena transpirar la camiseta para caminar casi 4 kilómetros hacia […]
Tucán pico verde (Red-breasted Toucan)
Transcurrieron bastantes recorridas por distintas localidades del sur de Misiones con el grupo sin poder obtener una fotografía del Tucán pico verde, cuando lo podíamos ver siempre estaba en vuelo y nunca era suficiente el tiempo para apuntar la cámara hacia arriba y cruzar los dedos para que haya un espacio libre entre árboles que […]
Size matters
A scientists’ work is never done. That’s because there’s always another layer to peel away, another stone to turn, another angle from which to view the situation. Case in point—nearly 200 years ago, Charles Darwin made the connection between the size and shape of a finch’s beak and the availability of the seeds they eat; […]