Meet the Curl-Crested Aracari Crew: Toucan Species Special Feature

Posted on by
Reply

I am very excited to continue this series of toucan species interviews today featuring a true toucan man named Jeff and his eclectic flock which just so happens to include some of the most fascinating-looking toucans of all the 38+ species – Curl-Crested Aracaris. But before we begin, just in case you missed them, be sure to check out these fun posts with our other toucan friends, Touk the Green Aracari, Pixie the Swainson’s, Pogo the Keel-Billed, and Yoshi the Emerald Toucanet.

MEET THE CURLS!

Curl-Crested Aracaris are among the largest in the aracari family, with an average weight of just under 10 ounces. They are found in a broad range of rainforest habitats throughout South America and are currently not endangered. Their colorful body, speckled chest, and curly hair-do make for one intriguing bird which many believe sets them apart as one of the most captivating of all the toucan species. I must say I have to agree.

Jeff and his partner, Ken, are the proud owners of not just one, but five Curl-Crested Aracaris (or “Curls” as they are commonly referred to in the toucan world). They live in Northern California and their curly flock includes: Rocky, the “pet”, who is 4 years old and lives in a large cage in Jeff’s home office and spends most of his days out free-flying the house; Oskar and Shirley, 3 years old, who are a tame, hand-raised pair that live in an aviary attached to the house with access to Jeff’s home office through a window; and another non-tame breeder pair which are kept in a large aviary off-site.

BRAZILIAN CARDINALS SHARE THE CURL AVIARY

In addition to his Curls, Jeff also provides a home to an 8 year old female Eclectus, Ichigo; numerous songbirds; and breeding pairs of Blue-Crowned Hanging Parrots and Stella’s Lorikeets. Brazilian Cardinals and a White-Crested Laughing Thrush share the aviary with the Curl couple, Oskar and Shirley. I met Jeff through the toucan network of friends that I have been lucky to build over the past year. He is an amazing resource on All Things Toucan and I know you’ll enjoy hearing about his passion for Curls.

Hi Jeff! You have quite the enviable flock. How did you first become interested in toucans?

I can’t even remember how I first became interested in toucans. I’ve kept birds since I was a child – parakeets, finches, and so forth. I probably got it from my dad, who had a pet parakeet when I was a baby and was always fascinated by animals. When I lived in Japan in the 70s and 80s, I had a few large parrots, cockatoos, and lories. I think I ventured across Jerry Jenning’s website (Emerald Forest Bird Gardens) in perhaps 2006? I was intrigued by his description of the difference between toucans and parrots.

BABY OSKAR

What types of toucans have you owned?

My first toucan was a Green Aracari, hand-raised by a breeder in Southern California. His name (the bird, not the breeder) was Frank and he was a great Ramphastid ambassador. When Tonia (current owner of Pogo the Keel-Billed toucan) was first thinking of getting a toucan, she heard about Frank from the Yahoo Toucans Ramphastid group and came to visit with her husband, Armando, and her sister, Emily. Frank won them all over. My sister, who lives in Milwaukee, met Frank and later went on to get a Green Aracari and a Swainson’s toucan. Another friend in the Bay Area also visited extensively with Frank before acquiring his own Green Aracari.

After several years here, Frank made the final sacrifice and got adopted by a close friend in the area. I still see Frank regularly and he’s very happy in his new home.

DINO THE PLATE-BILLED MOUNTAIN TOUCAN

I’ve had three other toucans. My first larger toucan, Dino, was a very rare species – a Plate-Billed Mountain toucan. He was also bred in Southern California, though since then, all representatives of the species have been sent to the Dallas World Aquarium and no more remain in the pet trade. I have also owned a Swainson’s toucan named Jimmy and a Toco toucan named Daisy, who now has a Toco mate named Mario.

 

JIMMY THE SWAINSON'S TOUCAN

Where did you adopt your Curl-Cresteds? How was your adoption process?

I purchased my Curl-Cresteds from Jerry Jennings. Initially, I had purchased a non-tame pair to breed and set them up in the outdoor aviary adjacent to the house. At the time, Jerry had not yet succeeded in breeding Curls and no babies were available.

Once Jerry had “cracked the code” and was producing a large number of Curl-Crested babies, he offered to sell me one. We named the new kid on the block Rocky, after the flying squirrel. He was very sweet and settled into our home easily.

I eventually had the opportunity to purchase an unrelated pair of hand-raised Curl babies, Oskar and Shirley. I then transferred the wild pair to a friend’s breeding facility where they would have more privacy. I put the new pair of babies in my aviary adjacent to my office. They remain tame after several years and I occasionally open the window and let them into the office to play with me or visitors. I’m hoping that because they are used to people, they will feel more at ease breeding in an aviary in such close proximity to the house.

OSKAR & SHIRLEY'S AVIARY

Whenever I let Oskar and Shirley inside, they gather on the playpen on top of Rocky’s cage. Shirley, who is Rocky’s sister from another clutch, seems intent on murdering Rocky, so he has to be in his cage when the pair are in my office. Oskar and Shirley are presently courting and perhaps this year they will breed.

Having two pairs of Curl-Cresteds, what are your plans in terms of breeding?

Breeding is not my main goal, but I would like to keep this species going in captivity since they make such good pets. There are only a handful of breeders at this point and I’d like to do my part.

MORE CURLS PLEASE!

What is a typical day in your life with your birds like?

Each day starts with chopping fruit – if you’re not a morning person, don’t get an aracari. I usually have the birds fed by about 8:30 am. I let Rocky out in the morning while I’m preparing food to cruise the living room and spend time with Ken before he goes to work ( I work from home). When I go into my office, Rocky joins me there, going in and out of his cage freely, landing on my head, playing in the bookshelves, and banging his toys around. If it’s a sunny day, I give him a few hours in a (METAL) sunning cage on our deck. While he’s on the deck, I can let Oskar and Shirley inside.

Birds generally rest during the mid-day period, being most active in the mornings and toward dusk. Rocky usually spends most of the afternoon in his cage, spacing out, by his own choice. Oskar and Shirley often retreat to their nest log in the afternoon for a nap. For some reason, Rocky seems to bathe late in the afternoon, almost every day. Oskar and Shirley usually bathe in the morning. No clue as to why it’s different.

NESTLOG CUDDLE TIME

Rocky often joins us in the living room while we’re watching TV in the evening. He enjoys spending that time tucked into a little blanket someone made just for him. He seems to like being wrapped up. Occasionally, he pops out, takes a poop break on one of his special stands with trays underneath, then comes back. 

Are Curls noisy birds? What sounds do they make?

They have a repertoire of about five calls that I’ve been able to identify. There is a sharp, loud, staccato warning call that can be irritating. They use it when fearful – a cat, a hawk, a new person, or a plane in the sky. They have a low, chortling sound that is their most frequent call, used as a greeting, it seems to me. They have a loud trill/purr/chatter that is used when happy – at having received some food or being reunited with a long-lost loved one (like after not seeing you for 30 minutes).

THE CURL CALL

They also have a soft, whining sound that is used when being stroked or petted – I believe this is probably the sound that chicks make to solicit food. And finally, they have a loud, car-alarm call probably most owners will never hear. It’s a high, descending whoop and I think it is used to call to flock members that are far out of sight. When I first put my wild breeding pair in the aviary, they did it for a few days in the morning. I think they were trying to see if any other Curl-Cresteds were in hearing range.Occasionally, my tame pair will make this cry in the morning, just once or twice. Even Rocky may do it in the morning if I have overslept and am not down to greet him at the usual time.

Tell us more about Rocky’s behaviors as a pet…

He likes to sit on the back of the couch behind your head and preen your hair or have you reach back and stroke him in that position, to which he responds with baby begging sounds. He also likes his beak stroked or rubbed gently.

If I take a short afternoon break from work, Rocky will join me on the couch, diving into a crack between me and the couch or me and the dog I’m sitting next to to sleep and be pet.

It has taken him two years to get used to our newer dog. At first, he was afraid and a little aggressive, but now he simply walk up to him and stares or gives him a tentative poke in the thigh. The dog just looks at him like, “what, me, worry?” but we always supervise their interactions.

Rocky also enjoys being hand fed tidbits of food. We keep a small cup of his pellets in the living room to hand feed him from time to time. He demands whatever you’re eating, so we usually cage him during our mealtimes – although he often manages to get a tiny piece of toast in the morning.

ROCKY

Unlike the larger toucans, in my experience, aracaris don’t use passing of food back and forth to strengthen the pair bond. The males do, however, offer food to the female, but I have never seen a female reciprocate. Once you give Rocky a treat, he isn’t going to give it back. What he does do is fly around the room, showing it off to everyone, “See what I’ve got! You don’t have this! It’s my special treat!”

Have you trained your aracaris to do any special behaviors?

I haven’t trained Rocky to do anything. After the first year, he trained himself to poop on the two stands with trays that we have in our living area. He never poops on people or furniture. I haven’t trained him to “step-up” either – sometimes he will and sometimes I just gently reach for him and enclose him in my hand. When I need to put him in his cage, I make him fly to the couch and he waits there for me to pick him up. I suppose I could train him but…I’m too lazy and I don’t see the need.

What is your favorite thing about Curl-Crested aracaris?

Lots of things, actually. I find them stunningly beautiful and to be honest, that’s an important factor for me. They are also so affectionate and playful, without any of the common parrot problems such as biting, destroying furniture, feather plucking, or screaming. They are easy to care for and feed, and are happy to just sit playing in their cage most of the day in the presence of their human flock. They enjoy cuddling, but aren’t desolate if you can’t spend hours exclusively devoted to them, like some cockatoos would be.

OSKAR & SHIRLEY

They are just so happy, cheerful, and easy to have around. They are also a species for which I think we humans can successfully meet their physical, emotional, and social needs, which is important.

What would you say is the most challenging thing about having an aracari as a pet?

Probably the most challenging thing about owning an aracari is providing it with a suitable home and keeping that home (and your home) clean. A large cage is absolutely necessary, and plenty of time out of the cage is a requisite. You also need to devise a way to keep fruit splatter under control. I use flexible plastic sheeting that comes in rolls around three sides of the cage to keep our walls clean and a sheet of Plexiglas sits on top of the cage. You still need to clean the walls and floors occasionally, as well as hose down the cage.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

They don’t eat much, so the expense of the food is minimal, but feeding aracaris is more trouble than just buying a bag of seeds or pellets, obviously. I’m feeding other even more labor-intensive birds, so to me, they’re easy. Additionally, I live in California where tropical fruits are readily and inexpensively available year-round.

Would you recommend Curl-Crested Aracaris as pets?

I would certainly recommend a hand-fed baby as a pet – if and only if you have the necessary time and space to fulfill its needs. On the other hand, if you’re simply going to park it in a cage all day while you’re off at work, I think a canary, parakeet, or cockateil is a more ethical choice for a pet. Aracaris are, by nature, much more social and deserve extended opportunities for interaction, ranging from focal to ambient attention (ie. just being in the same room as you).

Here’s a short video of the adorable baby Rocky when he was first brought home:

How do Curl-Cresteds rate in comparison to some of the other toucan species people might be considering?

As for comparing them with other Ramphastid species, I would say that as one of the larger Aracaris, they approach the toucans in intelligence without all of the attendant issues that make keeping the large toucans as pets a bad idea for most people. It may just be my impression, but the Curl-Cresteds seem to have a bit more “presence” than some of their smaller relatives. Because of their physical uniqueness – larger size, relatively heavy bodies, bills shaped more like the toucans than the aracaris, and of course their unique, curly-feathered hair-dos – they were classified in a separate genus (Beauharnaisius) for many years, and though now they have been brought into the Pteroglossus (aracari) genus, in many ways they still seem rather transitional between Pteroglossus and Ramphastos, giving them an aracari personality in a toucan body.

Before we finish, I have to ask – what on earth does the Curl-Crested’s crazy curly head feel like? It reminds me of an unravelled cassette tape…

Perfect description – if only cassette tape also had body. It feels just like it looks – like little plastic curls. Their feathers are smooth and solid, without any barbs. They are shiny too, like little strips of black patent leather that you curled with scissors, as if making a bow for a Christmas present.

DREAM CURLS

 

I’d like to express my appreciation to Jeff for sharing not only a piece of his life with us in this interview, but also for always readily sharing his toucan expertise with me when I’m either in need or just simply feeling curious. His enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge have been so beneficial to me and I am so glad I was able to connect with him. All of the photos and video in this post were provided by Jeff. Best wishes to Jeff, Ken, and their spectacular flock!

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

Springtime Hormonal Behaviors of Toco Toucans

Posted on by
2

We are currently experiencing our first mating season with Paco, Paz, and Pepe. We began to notice changes in their behavior in February and are unsure how much longer the hormonal hi-jinks will continue. Sources on the mating season of exotic birds vary but I have heard that this could continue all the way through September.

Studying the birds during this time of year has been particularly interesting because we are getting to observe and participate in both sides of the mating game - with a bonded pair (Paz and Pepe) and with an individual “pet” (Paco). Paco has selected me as his “mate” and therefore exhibits all of his mating expressions with me.

Here are some of the behaviors we have noticed now that the hormones are a-ragin’ in Toucanland…

The Sharing of Treats & Toys

It is a Toco toucan courtship behavior to pass food in between their beaks, usually the male offering the female a food gift prior to mating. The gift can be passed back and forth several times until the female ultimately accepts it. Pepe frequently attempts to offer Paz gifts of all kinds ranging from pellets, fruit bits, treats, and even toys. Depending on her mood, she will either sweetly accept it or will turn her head and hop away to ignore him, often with him trailing in her wake, seeming to scream, “please, TAKE IT!” (see the vocalization in the next section).

Paco has also become much more insistent about feeding me lately. Often when he sees me headed his way, he will grab a piece of fruit from his bowl and begin bouncing around and purring, simply dying for me to take it from him. Upon entering his enclosure, he will race onto my arm, purr wildly, and insistently shove his gift towards my mouth or hand. I will take his treats in my hand and pass them back and forth with him.

Depending on how insistent he is will his gift giving, we will pass back and forth for sometimes as many as 10+ times before eventually either he will swallow his food or I will have to pretend to eat it. I say “pretend” because often times his fruit bits have already been swallowed and since coughed back up and as much as I love my Paco Taco, I am averse to eating his partially digested food (no offense intended to the aforementioned toucan).

Here is one such example of Paco giving me his treats. This is a short one, with him only passing it to me a couple of times before eating it himself:

New Vocalizations

We have heard some surprising new sounds coming from the Three-Cans this time of year, whereas before, we only thought they had the two vocalizations – their purring sound and their croaking sound. Not so. As it turns out, they have the ability to make several other strange noises to add to their mating repertoire.

Paz and Pepe’s craziest sound is still one that I have been unable to catch on video. They make a noise akin to what I would imagine would be an effort to exorcise the demons from their nest, as they only do it during nest preparation times. Pepe has also started to make a chuffing sound for Paz, often when he is trying to provide her with a gift and she is not readily accepting it.

You can hear his noise here as he desperately tries to give her his favorite toy:

Paco has also begun making some foreign noises. Right before he wants to be snuggled or when I am near his nest and he is trying to coerce me inside, he makes a soft whining sound, almost to the pitch of “eeeeeee”, similar to a dentist’s water pick. During the times I am petting him, he makes another type of soft, contented purr, as he closes his eyes to soak up the love.

Nesting

Since we provided the Three-Cans with nest logs, there has been a lot of energy put forth on their part in prepping them, protecting them, and spending time in them. All three of the birds will often take fruit to their nest, held in the tip of their beak, and appear to be practicing feeding by perching on the entrance hole, purring, and bobbing their head up and down inside the nest. I’m guessing this is solely a dress rehearsal because they never drop the fruit and ultimately end up eating it themselves once they hop back down.

I have read that toucans will call each other to the nest by slapping their beaks side to side on the nest log’s entrance. I have noticed that Paz and Pepe mostly do this to announce their presence when the other one is already in the nest. Paco, though, has become quite enthusiastic lately about calling me to his nest. He often watches my door and once he sees me emerge, he races to his nest, perches on the entrance, and alternately purrs and slaps his beak back and forth in what I am assuming is an invitation for me to join him.

Here is a video of Paco, already inside his nest, welcoming me in:

Actual Mating

Paz and Pepe have been mating, mostly in the mornings and evenings. They are definitely not private about it and have gone so far as to mate directly above me as I am scrubbing their floor (and yes – I moved.). As you may have seen in Our First Egg Adventure, they have been successful at producing eggs and continue on in their quest to further their Toco race.

Paco, on the other hand, has been trying to mate with me a bit. He seems to be particularly attracted to my bare legs (I often wear shorts here in the sunny Caribbean) and he will attempt to hump them like a dog, if the opportunity presents itself. I have to admit, I am both surprised and vaguely flattered, as I’ve never considered my legs to be my best feature. The only way I can rationalize it is that perhaps to him, in comparison to his short little toucan legs, mine may as well be the tan, lengthy gams of Barbie (ah, if only the world could see me through his eyes! ;)   ) Nonetheless, I do my best to not encourage this and simply redirect his behavior by picking him up and distracting him by cuing a trick or providing a new toy. Thankfully, he quickly forgets his amorous moment and has yet to get frustrated towards me for stopping him short in his tracks.

Here is Paco attempting…well, you know…

Much More Cuddle Time

Paco has become incredibly cuddly lately, often wanting to spend upwards of 10 minutes at a time, multiple times each day, getting pet and smothered in kisses. I am not certain if this relatively new propensity for snuggling is due to mating season or if we have simply reached this point in our relationship, but either way, it is one of the potential side effects of mating season that I hope doesn’t end when Summer turns to Fall. While it’s tempting to smother Paco with what I consider appropriate affection all over his tiny toucan body, I try my best to limit my petting to his head and neck, as I have read that other places on birds can be interpreted sexually.

I was finally able to catch a bit of Paco snuggle time on video, although you can tell he is a bit distracted by the camera (he usually closes his eyes and lays his beak on my shoulder) - I guess he likes to reserve this as our private time :) …

More Frequent Moments of UTEs

I once saw a comment posted by someone on You Tube referring to their bird’s random freak out moments as UBEs – Unidentified Bird Emergencies. I thought this was both hilarious and acutely applicable, so we implemented the term immediately here; although for us they are UTEs – Unidentified Toucan Emergencies.

Outside of mating season, if the Three-Cans engage in a bout of concerned croaking, it is typically pretty obvious what they are expressing their displeasure about – kitesurfers (Official Arch Nemesis of the Three-Cans), big barges too close for comfort, or otherwise annoying children yelling in their general vicinity. Usually, they are comforted by my presence and will quiet down almost immediately. But during mating season, we are now experiencing more UTE moments – times where the Three-Cans croak for no discernible reason, at least within the confines of my limited human perspective.

Here is a prime example of a UTE:

Aggression & Territorialism

Paz and Pepe have had their moments this time of the year when they have become aggressive towards us, which is certainly understandable now that they’re nesting and are wound up emotionally in the potential of future babies. We have continued our training to maintain our relationship, but do tread lightly when we can tell they are in an anxious mood.

While Pepe is usually our most easy going-can, he has his brief stints where he decides he does not want us to touch his toys or his food bowls, racing over to try to peck or bite in defense of his property. Paz, who is ordinarily a bit more on the timid side, also has her moments of bravado where she decides to not allow me near her things. This is when it is especially important to pay close attention to their body language and exercise more caution than we usually do. Whereas I can normally allow Pepe to bounce around right up against me as he so often fearlessly does, I am now more prudent with how close I allow him to my face and stay alert to his energy. In times of aggression, we simply redirect their behavior onto something else and give them their space.

Paz and Pepe also have their times with each other where one of them will inadvertently aggravate the other, leading to bursts of beak fencing. We always keep a close watch on the pair, but thankfully it never escalates past a short-lived lover’s quarrel.

Paco, on the other hand, has shown absolutely zero aggressive behavior towards me, his “mate” – if anything, he has become closer and even more tolerant of me. He still continues his defensive attitude towards David, although this is certainly nothing specifically attached to mating season, but rather a constant training battle we are working on.

Overall, things haven’t been as challenging for us in comparison to what I have heard others are dealing with during this crazy time of the year with our feathered companions. A friend’s toucan is currently raging through their household, chasing her chosen human “mate” down with such fortitude, he is having to leave the house during her waking hours. While we do consider ourselves lucky to not be encountering such serious issues, I have to admit, I am looking forward to the end of mating season – if only so the humping and overall moodiness shall come to pass.

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

Meet Yoshi the Emerald Toucanet: Toucan Species Special Feature

Posted on by
6

My series of toucan species interviews continues with one of our tinier cousins. Just in case you missed them, be sure to check out my other interviews featuring our friends, Touk the Green Aracari, Pixie the Swainson’s, and Pogo the Keel-Billed. Today, we have the pleasure of hearing all about the darling life of Yoshi the Emerald Toucanet.

Emerald Toucanets are pint-sized versions of the larger toucan species, generally weighing as little as 6 ounces and measuring a mere 12 inches, including their beak. While all Emerald Toucanets have mostly green bodies, other plumage and physical characteristics can vary depending upon which of the 7 sub-species they belong to. They are well dispersed throughout the mountainous regions of Southern Mexico and Central and South America.

MEET YOSHI!

Yoshi the Emerald Toucanet lives in Long Island, New York with his adoring “parents”, Kim & her husband, Kyle. He will soon be celebrating his 4th birthday on May 25th, so mark you calendars – he’s got blueberries, blueberries, and MORE blueberries on his birthday wish list!

Hi Kim! Where did you adopt Yoshi? How was your adoption process?

We got Yoshi from Jerry at Emerald Forest Bird Gardens. If you choose to get a toucan, I would highly recommend getting one from him. Not only was he so wonderful throughout our entire adoption process, he continues to be available for questions or when situations arise. He is “Mr2Can” for a reason – he knows his toucans better than anyone else out there. I would only consider getting a toucan from Jerry due to his very high reputation and reliability.

We picked Yoshi up from JFK airport at about 6 am, as he flew in from California on the red eye. He was totally jet-lagged and couldn’t keep his eyes open the entire ride home. It was so priceless! Once we got him home, he didn’t move for about 2 hours, then moved only an inch, and not again for some time. By the next day, he was right at home. I will never forget the first time I saw him at the airport – so cute!

SLEEPY YOSHI

Have you owned any other birds prior to Yoshi? How would you say toucanets differ?

When I was younger, I owned a cockatiel. Toucans are much smarter and more interactive than cockatiels and create a much stronger bond too.

From what you can tell, how would you say the behaviors of toucanets differ from the larger toucan species?

In general, toucanets (from what I can tell) are just smaller versions of their bigger toucan cousins. I laugh when I see the Keel-Billed or the Swainson’s toucans do the same behaviors as Yoshi, but on a much bigger scale! The bigger toucans, as one would expect, have louder calls and sounds. But overall, from what I can gather, their behaviors are very similar.

Watch Yoshi play catch, just like our Three-Cans…although, I have to say it looks like he’d make a better batter ;)

What is a typical day in your life with Yoshi like?

Usually my husband and I wake up to the “mommy call” – Yoshi “clucking”, as we call it. Some owners refer to it as the toucanet’s morning song. As soon as Yoshi sees me, he stops and starts hopping about his cage, so happy to greet me. I get my bunch of kisses, then go off to cut-up some fresh fruit. Everyday, Yoshi gets fresh papaya, blueberries, and other in-season fruits. Depending on the time of year, his favorites are cherries, strawberries, and grapes. His most favorite fruit though are blueberries, which he gets daily – I can get him to do almost anything for a blueberry! He doesn’t like bananas at all, or apple so much either. Everyday he also gets Mazuri pellets in his food and in a separate cup inside his cage.

Listen to Yoshi’s itty-bitty ”Mommy Call”:

Depending on if it is a workday or weekend, Yoshi may or may not get to come out and play for the day. He loves to play by our fireplace with his toys and explore different places. He will fly to and from me or my husband, depending on his mood. The time of year dictates what time he goes to sleep. He usually falls asleep just after dusk, depending on the night. He usually “parks” first. That is what my husband and I call it – he picks a spot to sleep in (that too varies depending on the night), puts his tail up, and gets all quiet and fluffy. Before you know it, he is asleep. I love the summer months because he stays up really late and then we have more time to play after I get home from work. In the winter, sometimes he is already asleep by the time I get home. He will usually wake up once he hears me and my husband, but then goes back to sleep quickly.

Yoshi being his adorable self on the couch:

Have you trained Yoshi to do any special behaviors? Was it difficult?

Believe it or not, I had Yoshi completely potty-trained at one point. He would fly to his cage, poop, and then come back out. Unfortunately, I now have to re-train him. He had a “relapse” after we had to watch my mom’s parrot (he was too scared to come out of his cage) and lost his practice. Then we got a new couch and that totally threw him off! Anyone that has a pet toucan will tell you that they can be the biggest scaredy cats! He was afraid to come out of his cage for a week because of the new couch – coming out, but quickly flying back in. So funny. So, back to the potty training drawing board we go! It was pretty easy to train him though. Everytime he pooped, I just put him back in his cage. When he did poop in his cage, I would praise him and give him kisses. That was pretty much it. I hope it works again because having a trained bird certainly makes life easier!

YOSHI CHILL TIME

What is your favorite thing about having Yoshi in your life?

My husband and I don’t have children together so Yoshi is our “baby”. He is such a wonderful companion. He brings so much joy and laughter to both of us all of the time. Toucanets are just so quirky and funny – they always keep you laughing and guessing! My husband and I often say that Yoshi was one of the best decisions we ever made.

WE LOVE OUR TOUCANET!

What would you say is the most challenging thing about owning a toucanet?

Probably the biggest challenge we faced was the lack of information that was available during the time we were looking into getting Yoshi. You can’t just go to the pet store and get the “Toucan” book. Joining the Yahoo Toucan Group was a blessing! There are many experts in the group that have helped other group members in times of crisis or just to answer simple questions. The only other challenge that I can think of is the fact that toucans are quirky and you never know what they will react oddly towards. They definitely keep you guessing. I already told the story about the new couch, but we also experienced a similar reaction to our new vacuum. I also can’t tell you how many shirts that I have worn that Yoshi has obviously disapproved of! Other than that, they are truly the best pets ever!

Watch Yoshi thoroughly enjoy his Easter toy:

Would you recommend toucanets as pets? What would you tell someone before they chose to adopt one?

I highly recommend toucanets as pets. We live in a condo and that was one reason we decided to go with a toucan. The toucanet was perfect because of their small size and the fact that they are not noisy. The other major difference is that toucans don’t have dander and down, so no tumbleweeds throughout the house. I would make one recommendation to anyone getting a toucan: get washable paint. They can be messy, although not any messier than a parrot. However, you will need to wash your walls free of papaya, blueberries, or any other fruit that finds its way there. We got Valspar low VOC paint (the super washable kind) and it all comes right off with no problem.

Also, a toucan does require time to cut up fresh fruit, which can be pricey too. However, it is worth the extra time to cut up fresh fruit in the morning, or you can even pre-cut a couple of days worth and keep it in the refrigerator. If you are looking for fun, companionship, and love but don’t want to walk a dog, get a toucanet! They are just as much fun and yes – Yoshi hops over to me like a dog when I call him. It is absolutely precious. Toucans rock!

 

YOSHI ROCKS!

 

Big thank you to Kim and Kyle for sharing their adorable baby Yoshi with us! The Yoshi photos were all provided by Kim and the videos can be found on Yoshi’s New You Tube Channel – be sure to follow him to stay connected with the latest and greatest in his tiny toucan lifestyle.

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

Our First Egg Adventure

Posted on by
1

I hesitate to confess how completely and utterly shocked I was to find eggs in Paz and Pepe’s nest. After all, I had just socialized, then housed together two healthy birds of breeding age expressly because they had been extremely interested in each other and exhibiting courtship behaviors through their shared wall. So theoretically, why wouldn’t they breed? But in my defense, I had always heard how notoriously difficult it was to breed Toco toucans and that one of their major requirements for successful breeding was seclusion, something we are unable to provide. Our goal with joining Paz and Pepe has always been simply for their happiness, rather than procreation. We figured the chances of them mating and producing young were slim to none and we had no qualms with that. But mate they did and within a mere 3 weeks since their first meeting, we discovered 4 eggs in their nest on March 31st.

Paz & Pepe's First Clutch

It had been an otherwise normal morning except that Paz was spending the majority of her time inside the nest, choosing not to participate in our AM training session or the succeeding cleaning time which she usually enjoys, mostly due to the many opportunities for treats. Worried that there might be something wrong, I decided to have a peek inside the nest once she finally emerged to eat her breakfast. And there they were – 4 white eggs, each slightly smaller than a chicken’s egg, huddled together in the nest.

Toco toucans lay clutches of 2-4 eggs in an unlined nest cavity. Incubation is roughly 16-18 days, the responsibility shared by both the male and female. Once hatched, toucan chicks will remain in the nest for up to 7 weeks, until they are eating on their own and fully fledged.

We decided to keep the eggs a secret to ourselves, as there is so much that can go wrong and we didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, including our own. I was also not that keen on adding to the pressure by being interrogated daily on the success, or lack thereof, with the current clutch. As I have mentioned before, it has never been our intention to breed the toucans. Heck – we didn’t even know their genders when we adopted them! Our focus has always been to simply provide them with the best life possible. That being said, it would certainly be exciting to experience the raising of toucan chicks.

But David and I are both in agreement that Paz and Pepe’s happiness comes first and barring a case of total abandonment, we will not remove their eggs/babies and will leave them to rear their young. It is a personal choice, we do not judge anyone who makes a different decision, this is just what is right for us. We see it as our responsibility to provide the parents with everything they need to have the best chance possible at raising healthy chicks.

Being struck by surprise with this early clutch and feeling ill-prepared, we immediately set to work consulting breeders and our veterinarians on nutrition and other considerations, ordering in all of the supplies we would need to assist the parents. Toucan chicks are highly susceptible to Candida, a type of yeast infection, and require daily doses of medication as a preventative for early death. The prescription, along with hand-feeding formula and syringes in the event that the parents abandoned their babies, were all rapidly FedEx-ed to our little island in preparation.

Toucan Baby Supplies

With Toco toucans, both the male and female will incubate the eggs. In our case, Pepe’s level of involvement seemed to vary. The first week, they split the task pretty evenly with Paz taking the late afternoon and overnight shift and Pepe spending most of the daytime incubating. The second week, for reasons unknown, Paz took over the full brunt of the incubating responsibility, with Pepe covering only for the brief stints when she would leave the nest to eat and drink.

Paz incubating their eggs

The first egg to disappear came shortly after our initial discovery of the clutch. We later found egg shells in their droppings, confirming the fact that they had eaten it. The three eggs survived for another week until Pepe destroyed two of them successively on April 5th and 6th by breaking a hole in the egg, eating its contents, and dumping the shell on the aviary floor. There is no way to know the definitive reasons why they would consume their eggs. According to Jerry Jennings of Emerald Forest Bird Gardens, “Toucans, including Tocos, frequently eat their eggs or young in the wild and I have seen videos taken by nest cameras in wild Toco nests in Brazil, wherein the parents eat an egg or a baby. They may eat just one and carry on with the remainder, or eat all three. There is no good explanation other than perhaps the nest was suffering some sort of disturbance that was not recorded or observed.” Because we do not have a camera inside our nest, we can only guess that perhaps they could tell that the eggs were infertile, or perhaps they accidentally cracked one by stepping on it, or there could be many other undetectable reasons for eating the eggs. But from April 6th onward, they continued their commitment to their last remaining egg.

one of the eggs Pepe ate

While it is impossible to accurately gauge an exact timeline when the parents are incubating the eggs themselves, the remaining egg seemed to last well beyond the specified incubation time. When I peered into the nest on April 22nd, I noticed the egg had a small smashed spot, looking to me more like something inflicted by Paz or Pepe, rather than a normal hatching. At this point, Paz appeared to have given up on the egg, spending her day outside the nest. Pepe, however, was reluctant to give up on it. He turned the smashed spot down onto the nest bottom and continued to incubate. Yet by the following morning, both Paz and Pepe had seemed to have released responsibility for the egg. While I wanted to help by removing it for them, I was advised to leave it be, told that they would take care of it when they were ready. Sure enough, when I came out mid-morning to check on them, there were no traces of the egg left in the nest but there were bits of shell on the aviary floor and Paz’s beak by way of explanation.

egg shell remains on aviary floor

Paz seemed a bit downtrodden through the next day, preferring to sit stoically on her own up high and not desiring any treats or interaction. But life goes on and two days later, she and Pepe were back to their courtship dance of purring and sharing treats, mating again, ready to throw their hand back in the game. By the looks of it, I am certain we will have more egg stories to come and you never know – one of them just might lead to a baby-can.

I would like to thank Jerry Jennings, Rebecca Taylor, and our trusted veterinarians Dr. Laura Palminteri and Dr. Heidi Stout for the generous sharing of their time, support, and valuable knowledge. We are so appreciative and feel lucky not to have to figure it all out on our own!

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

The Wall That Hormones Built

Posted on by
1

Once upon a time there were three toucans named Paco, Paz, and Pepe. They lived on a little island in the Caribbean with their best friend, the Toucan Lady. They were a happy flock, living together side by side, enjoying their monkey-see, monkey-do lifestyle: when Paz would go to eat, so would Pepe and Paco; when Paco started his bath, the other two followed suit. They were the Three-Can Musketeers, all for one and one for all. Life was good.

But then, as the days grew longer and Winter turned to Spring, an invisible, evil monster called Hormones cloaked itself upon the Toucan House, intoxicating the sweet little Three-Cans and driving them crazy. Suddenly, all Paz did was “croak-croak-croak” and all Pepe did was bounce around in a tizzy trying to give Paz all of his food through their shared wall. The Toucan Lady was sad that Paz and Pepe were frustrated. What was she to do?

The Toucan Lady decided that it was time for Paz and Pepe to meet: face to face, beak to beak. After they showed her that they could play together nicely, the wall between them came down. Paz and Pepe bounced with joy to finally be together. Paco was happy too because now, not only did he share a wall with Paz, he also got to have Pepe as his new neighbor too. Life was good.

But then, as Paz and Pepe started to work on their nest and came to the understanding that they were ready to start a family, the mind-altering Hormones Monster was back, convincing them that Paco was the enemy and would someday eat their babies. Paz and Pepe made it their mission to defend their house with forceful vigor against their frenemy, Paco Taco. Paco thought they were just being silly and playing a fun new game, so he would bring them toys and gleefully bang beaks with them. But Paz and Pepe were not playing and each day that passed, the Hormones Monster made them angrier and angrier. The Toucan Lady was sad that her flock was fighting. She knew she had to find a way to end the violence before somebody got hurt.

First, the Toucan Lady tried to create a visual block by tying palm fronds on the wall in between Paz, Pepe, and Paco. She thought it would be nice if they could still see each other and remain a connected flock – just one with a bit more privacy for the couple in the group. But the Toucan Lady was wrong. The Three-Cans still fought through the wall wherever they could see each other – the Hormones Monster had made a war in Toucanland. But refusing to be defeated, the Toucan Lady set out again to find a solution to protect her flock from harm.

This time, the Toucan Lady knew she needed to completely separate the two enclosures so that there could be peace again in her flock. She called the Fabric Mon and had him make a great big shade to cover the aviary wall. Once she put it up inside Paz and Pepe’s house, they could no longer see Paco and immediately a calm settled over Toucanland.

Paz and Pepe are happy to have the wall because it helps them to feel secure – Paco is out of sight and out of mind. Paco wishes he could still see his friends, but the Toucan Lady makes sure she gives Paco even more attention than ever before – lots of outside playtime, extra toys and games, and visits into the Toucan Lady’s human house. This makes Paco happy. The Hormones Monster may have built a wall, but he could not destroy the spirit of Toucanland. Life is good and they all lived happily ever after.

The End….for now…

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

How I Trained My Toucan to Ride in a Backpack

Posted on by
2

After seeing people rave about their Celltei Pak-o-Bird backpacks on a bird forum, I found myself meandering over to the website, thinking I would just take a gander to see what all of the fuss was about. But my intrigue quickly turned to rapture when I saw that not only did they have a specially designed toucan model, but it was pictured with none other than a Toco inside of it. That was it – the cuteness of imagining the Three-Cans riding in a backpack of their own overcame me - I had to have one!

Most people, including David (and honestly, including me), thought it was a pretty far-reaching goal to think I could actually get Paco (or harder still – Paz or Pepe) to ride in it. After all – not only are they toucans who are by nature, boisterous, bouncy, and generally uncontainable, but ours are also adopted adult birds with a history we do not know and this could be one of those things that they are overwhelmingly afraid of such as baskets. But I decided that the rewards of them being trained in the pack were so high, it would be worth it to roll the dice, order the backpack, and put in the effort to see if I was able to muster up the training gusto to get them in it.

After a couple of weeks, our Celltei backpack arrived and I was really impressed with the high-quality craftsmanship - from the bright orange, thick nylon exterior, the strength of the zippers and grommets, to the Dragonwood perch – I can tell it is going to last and will withstand some rough-housing from any toucan who decides to challenge it. I also love how it is designed with shades on the sides and front that easily roll-up and latch when they’re not in use. My only wish is that there were some sort of small flap that would allow me access to the inside once the bird is zipped in, such as to reach in and provide a treat, although I’m sure they don’t add this due to safety concerns.

I set to work immediately on my training with the backpack. I decided to start with Paco, as he is the most confident of the three and has a higher threshold of tolerance with me when it comes to training which allows me to push him beyond his comfort zone a little harder than I would ever attempt with Paz and Pepe. Plus, since Paco is the one who likes to play outside, I figured I could capitalize on that desire, as he would enjoy the benefits of exploring the outdoors further in the backpack – something which would be scary, rather than exciting, for Paz or Pepe.

My main reason for wanting Paco trained to ride in the backpack is that it will allow me to introduce him to more areas, both indoors and out, in a safer, more controlled manner. Currently, he is at ease outdoors in two spaces but when I proceed much further, he gets nervous and less predictable. If he were to fly off in these situations, it could be dangerous and lead to a negative experience. Once he is trained in the backpack, I figure it will allow me to introduce him to a situation where he can still experience the newness, yet feel at ease in his own space.

I started by desensitizing Paco to the presence of the backpack, which was rather easy due to his generally fearless personality. After a few minutes of alarmed croaking, his curiosity won out over his fear as always, and he would perch a few feet away, bobbing his head to check out the new addition. I set the backpack on his aviary floor, directly at the base of his perch that allows him access to the ground, thus making it simple for him to hop into the backpack whenever he was ready. Once he was at ease in its presence, I started bringing it in each afternoon when I came to play Bag of Wonder with him. The positive energy of the game helped to reinforce an overall positive association with the backpack – his enthusiasm as I arrived with the game translated directly to the pack. Now, when he sees me walking his way with the backpack, he bounces around excitedly, anticipating fun.

Early on, I made the decision to never leave the backpack in his cage unattended, as I would not be able to control his interactions with it. The last thing I would want would be for him to be playing in or around the backpack, have it fall over and scare him, and leave him with a negative impression which would be even more difficult for me to overcome.

Paco soon got to a point where the backpack was commonplace and he would allow me to hold him on my arm in front of it, even going as far as leaning his head inside, however, he was resistant to actually hopping onto the perch. We got stuck in this stage of training for about a week, so I decided to give the pack a break before it became just another “toy” he chose to ignore. When I brought it back into Paco’s aviary after a few days cool-off time, his interest in it was renewed.

My biggest training breakthrough came when I decided to make going inside of the backpack a game. One day, when we were playing Bag of Wonder, Paco was overly excited about a hard plastic tube and was tossing it around. When he accidentally dropped it and I picked it up, instead of giving it back to him, I decided to take advantage his crazed desire for the toy by tossing it into the backpack instead. And sure enough, he hopped right in, overcoming his fear of standing on the perch by his current need to have the tube. I erupted with enthusiastic congratulations (Paco’s favorite reward) – “YAY PACO YAY!!! GREAT JOB!! You are such a GOOD BOY!!!” followed by adoring kisses to the beak. That sealed it for Paco – for the rest of our time together that day, all he wanted to do was to keep fetching the tube from inside the backpack and be doted upon in my signature gushing fashion.

The next step was getting him to the point where he would allow me to zip the door shut with him inside of it. For this, I filled the mini food bowl inside the backpack with one of his favorite treats, Red Apple Paradise pellets. Between those and his current favorite toy sealed inside with him, he was set at ease to sit calmly inside the closed backpack. He only had two short “freak-outs” where he hopped down on the floor of the pack trying to get out through the shut flap. Instead of immediately letting him out, I spoke to him calmly, instructed him to go back to his perch (a command he already knows), and waited for him to settle back down before opening it up to ensure we ended his backpack time on a positive note.

The final step was taking Paco outside in it. I have been working on using the cue word “ride” for his time in the backpack, hoping that eventually all I have to say is “Does Paco want to go for a ride?” for him to happily hop right into it. When carrying him around outside, I made sure to keep him elevated at my eye level, as he would be were he on my arm. The joy of the backpack completely set in for Paco when I allowed him out of it for some sunbathing time. Now, he is always willing to “go for a ride”, never knowing what exciting thing it will lead to.

As with anything in training toucans, I think the key here was patience and not getting lost in my own excitement by pushing things too far, too quickly. By acknowledging and rewarding all of the baby steps Paco had to take to feel at ease, it ensured the backpack was always seen in a positive light. Also, knowing my bird and that his top priority is always fun and excitement, allowed me to shape our training experience around what really motivates him. I couldn’t be happier with accomplishing this goal, which is all a part of the master plan to allow Paco more freedom and more opportunities to spend quality time with me.

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

Meet Pogo the Keel-Billed: Toucan Species Special Feature

Posted on by
3

I hope you have been enjoying this series of toucan species special features as much as I have. With each new toucan whose life I get a chance to peek into, I am fascinated by the overall similarities of toucans in general, yet even more delighted by each bird’s unique personality. It has been so interesting to hear about the varying lifestyles of those who are fortunate to spend their lives with a toucan. In case you missed them, be sure to check out my interviews spotlighting our friends, Touk the Green Aracari and Pixie the Swainson’s toucan. Today’s interview features the toucan species most requested by those following this blog so far. I promise that you will not be disappointed with the character I’ve found to represent the Keel-billed toucans – a charming little firecracker named Pogo.

MEET POGO THE KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN!

Keel-billed toucans, also known as Sulfur-chested or Rainbow-billed toucans, are a bit smaller than the two largest species, Tocos and Swainson’s, often weighing just under a pound with a slightly shorter, 5-inch beak. Due to their theatrical coloring, Keel-billeds are generally regarded as the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing of all the toucan species, making them popular additions to zoos and other wildlife exhibits. Similar to our Toco toucans, Keel-billeds belong to the croaker family when it comes to noise-making abilities and are also not sexually dimorphic birds. Their native range encompasses most of Central America from Southern Mexico all the way down to Columbia and Venezuela.

KEEL-BILLEDS LOVE TO CLOWN AROUND

Pogo the Keel-billed toucan hatched on June 4th, 2008 and found her flock shortly thereafter in Armando and Tonia. They all cohabitate together, for better or for worse, in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. I connected with Tonia through You Tube, as one of the many fans of Pogo’s videos. Tonia is a wealth of knowledge and has become one of my favorite people to “talk toucans” with. Prepare to be enchanted with the unforgettable Pogo as you step into their life and get a glimpse of what it’s like to live under a Toucan Regime.

Hi, Tonia! Where did you adopt Pogo? How was your adoption process?

We arranged to get Pogo through Jerry Jennings of Emerald Forest Bird Gardens (EFBG) in Southern California beginning in early 2008. Jerry welcomed us to visit him when we were considering a toucan and he was very open and helpful to us. Since we were interested in a “pet quality”, hand-raised toucan, he arranged for a friend to bring in her Swainson’s toucan, so that we could interact with a pet bird, as Jerry’s toucans are generally paired up as breeders and display more “wild” behavior.

We were not committed to any particular species of toucan, but were leaning towards a large toucan since we have the space and time to care for one. Pogo would be our only pet and we do not have children. We hesitated on the choice of species long enough that we “missed” our window of opportunity to put a deposit down on a bird before the 2008 chicks were all claimed. We were saddened to think that another year would pass before we would get our bird, due to our indecision.

SURPRISE! HERE COMES POGO...

Fortunately, a month later, we got an email from Jerry saying that he had a “surprise” baby, the product of two very young Keel-billed toucans who had recently been paired. Jerry wasn’t really expecting any successful offspring from Pogo’s parents, but she survived her incubation and hatched into a healthy little chick.

In the past, I worked as a Wildlife Rescue Volunteer, hand-rearing orphaned or injured hummingbird and woodpecker chicks. I was very interested in finishing the hand-feeding process myself and worked with Jerry to let us take her home before she was fully weaned. We picked her up in San Diego when she was 7 weeks old and continued the hand-feeding twice daily for about one more month.

PAK-O-POGO

One of the most memorable parts of Pogo’s adoption was how she was introduced to us by Flavia, the young woman who hand-reared the toucan chicks at EFBG. She had just handed a baby Collared Aracari to my sister and described him as “The Darling of the Nursery”. Upon handing me Pogo, she said, “And this one? Well…” I believe that Flavia figured out Pogo’s personality within her first few weeks of life. We have learned that Keel-Billeds are feisty, active, and impudent – but we love her dearly anyway.

Check out this adorable video of baby Pogo – playful and spunky right from the start:

Have you owned birds prior to Pogo? How would you say toucans differ from your experiences?

Growing up, I had a number of companion birds- parakeets, lovebirds, and cockatiels. Pogo is nothing like those.

Pogo is more like a flying monkey, or what I imagine a flying monkey would be like – she’s always investigating her environment and getting into things. We have sayings at home that “a quiet toucan is one that is getting into trouble” and “never turn your back on a toucan”. If she is out of sight in the house, she is probably getting into something or making a mess. Other birds can be content in proper cages for periods of time, but Pogo wants/needs full run of our house and is fully-flighted (unclipped wings). She is definitely much more high maintenance and high energy than any other bird I have ever known well.

POGO'S MONKEY BUSINESS

What is a typical day in your life with Pogo like?

Pogo sleeps in her “house”, a large cage in which I could stand-up in. She wakes with the first light, which is almost always earlier than Armando and I would normally get up. In her early years, she would “croak-croak-croak-croak” continuously until we got out of bed, exasperated, and began to interact with her. But we learned that we could bring her into our dark bedroom in the mornings to “sleep in” with us. She sits on a tabletop perch on our nightstand and goes back to sleep – sometimes until as late as 9 am. In an endearing way, she brings us Mazuri pellets (toucan food) in bed once she starts stirring. It seems to be part of the toucan ritual to give food gifts to your fellow flock members.

POGO PILLOW TALK

Whenever we all get up, Pogo is interacting with us just about every minute of the day. She supervises us in the kitchen while we wash out her food dishes and chop up fresh fruit: usually a mix of papaya, pear, grapes, strawberries, and avocado. We save her blueberries for food rewards or place them in foraging toys during the day so she has something to do when we are both away from home, working.

IT'S HARD WORK BEING A TOUCAN

Anytime one of our family members is home, Pogo is reliably out of her cage and exploring the house or trying to participate in our activities. Sometimes she is content to sit still in the office for hours, watching Armando work from home. Other times, especially in the Spring when she is feeling “nesty”, she aggressively chases our feet and pecks them continuously. Our ankles show the scars of her handiwork, and we have learned that some footwear (particularly red slippers) sets her off more than other colors. Breeding season is always a challenging time with Pogo and we look forward to her summer molt after the summer solstice when her moody and often aggressive behavior mellows some.

Watch Pogo show her utter contempt for red slippers:

We joke that Pogo has a “staff” to care for her. Armando and I do her feeding, watering, and cage cleaning (including a sticky, stinky “big clean” about once per week). On days when we are both out of the house, my mother, Granny Bird, comes to visit to let Pogo out of her house and give her some interaction and flying time. Granny also does her share of cleaning up flung fruit, changing cage papers, and shopping for toucan fruit.

BABY POGO LOVES HER GRANNY BIRD

Evening time is often quiet time with Pogo. She enjoys sitting near us on the couch watching TV, listening to Armando play the piano while seated on his piano bench, or grooming herself on her “lamp perch” – it was once a nice swing-arm mica lamp, but is now fully converted to Pogo’s perch after she claimed it as her own and began to systematically destroy it.

Pogo often stays up until 9 pm or later, but lets us know that it’s time for bed by hopping near us and pointing her head straight up, towards the direction of her cage upstairs. Although she could hop up to her cage unassisted, she seems to like the ritual of involving us at bedtime. We carry her upstairs and she hops into her house, up to the highest perch where she disappears out of sight, nestled in the dark of her roofed cage.

POGO AND HER PIANO MAN

Have you trained Pogo to do any special behaviors? If so, was it difficult?

Pogo is about 50% potty trained. We wish her success rate was higher since we still have lots of “accidents” that need cleaning each day. She seems to “forget” about pooping in the right places when something else has her interest or she isn’t adjacent to a perch and wants to stay nearby.

More successfully, I’ve trained her to fly on command, landing on an outstretched arm in exchange for a blueberry reward. This has been a useful “trick” because she will fly to any stranger who adopts the appropriate posture and offers a blueberry, including her avian vet and visiting friends who want to interact with Pogo or get a picture with her. My hope is that we could use this “trick” to retrieve her if she ever escaped outdoors.

POGO FLYING FOR BLUEBERRIES

What is your favorite thing about having Pogo in your lives?

Pogo makes us laugh. We joke that she is cheaper than a therapist.

We also really enjoy unraveling Pogo’s wild behaviors and learning to read her body language since we found so little available in print or online to help us interpret a “pet” toucan’s behavior. It is very interesting to cohabitate with a wild animal and it requires us to adapt to her behavior, unlike a domesticated animal that can adapt to our human habits. We will never be bored with Pogo in our lives, since she seems to teach us something new about “being a toucan” every week.

Watch Pogo’s natural foraging behavior with her very own signature toy – “Pogo’s Pockets” (I’ve got to make one (or three…) of these for the Three-Cans!):

What would you say is the most challenging thing about owning a toucan?

With Pogo, it is the moodiness, the constant demand for attention, and the mess. As I mentioned before, Spring is a tough time with Pogo. She has chosen Armando as her mate, which means that I am a competitor for his affection and get pecked more during this time of year. She follows Armando *everywhere* – yes, this can include the bathroom if he’s not careful. She alternately purrs and nuzzles with him, but moments later, she is pecking him and drawing blood.Some days, it seems she doesn’t know what she wants. Once I stopped interpreting her pecking as a personal affront, I felt better about her mood swings. It is most pronounced in Spring.

Pogo’s moodiness means that we are challenged to find bird sitters with the experience and courage to take on “one pound of angry, beaky, flapping bird”, which is what she can be in Spring or in the presence of bare feet – or red slippers. Fortunately, despite numerous nips and a black eye on one occasion, our dear bird sitter keeps coming back for more. We think she’s been seduced by Pogo’s good looks and her moments of endearing and sweet behavior too.

QUEEN POGO SUPERVISES POOP CLEAN-UP

Like all pet birds, especially fruit-eating birds, Pogo makes a mess. She flings her food onto the floor, wall, whatever is nearby. Since she is an indoor bird, all that mess is inside our home, and not outdoors in an aviary. I spend a significant amount of time cleaning up after Pogo everyday. I have learned that indoor carnivorous plants are good managers of the fruit flies that can come with fruit-eating birds.

Would you recommend toucans as a pet? What would you tell someone before they chose to adopt one?

The big toucans, certainly Keel-Billed toucans, are high maintenance pets that require a lot of time, money, and patience – and unlike dogs, they are not good at responding to our human moods and whims. Toucans seem to march to the beat of their own drummer, driven by natural instincts and hormones. However, in the right home, with people who can appreciate their pet from more of a naturalist’s perspective, and where time, money, and patience are available, toucans are very rewarding companions and will keep you on your toes and learning constantly. It’s never boring and it’s never clean with a toucan.

SUNSHINE FOR POGO

 

My toucan gratitude goes Tonia, Armando, & Pogo for sharing such a fun, realistic picture of their lives together. All of the fantastic Pogo photos in this post were provided by Tonia and Armando. You can also find the Pogo videos shown here, as well as many others, on Pogo’s You Tube Channel  – guaranteed to make you smile on even the roughest of days. There are still more toucan interviews coming soon – lucky for us toucans are quite a large, eclectic bunch!

 

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

So You Think You Want a Toucan…

Posted on by
6

Recently, a woman named Tasha requested a blog post about some of the downsides of toucan ownership. She is considering a toucan as a future pet and wants to be aware of every angle before she commits her family to one. I think this is commendable and a truly responsible approach. Too much of the time, I hear people declaring, “I want a toucan!” without knowing much of anything about toucans to begin with. While adorably charming creatures, there is so much more to living with a toucan besides the cute face and goofy personality. I feel that if I am going to blanket the internet with endearing toucan photos and videos, it is also my responsibility to share the full picture of what it really means to share your life with a toucan.

Let me preface this by saying that I love my Three-Cans an indescribable amount and I wouldn’t trade them for anything, including to have my personal time back – the time I used to spend reading, with friends, and otherwise working towards my myriad of goals. My life with Paco, Paz, and Pepe is incredibly rewarding, but it does not come for free – the relationship I enjoy with them requires a tremendous effort on my part.

I’m not here to be a kill-joy or to say that a toucan is not right for you. Far be it for me to deny anyone their dream of spending their life with these amazing birds. Only you can know what your life can accommodate and what your priorities are – I just want you to have as much realistic information as possible, not just the fluff. To help you make an informed decision for your toucan future, I have compiled a list of some of the challenges of toucan ownership based on my experiences with our Toco toucans, as well as conversations I have had with other fellow toucan companions. Here are some things to keep in mind when considering adding a toucan to your life…

Caring for a toucan takes up a lot of your time everyday (yes, even Saturdays…)

Toucans have daily needs that cannot be put off regardless of your schedule, your health, your mood, or the weather. They need a fresh bowl of fruit provided two times per day - a variety of fruits which must be chopped for them each morning. Toucans are also messy (see below) and need to be cleaned up after daily to maintain good hygiene. Toucans are very social birds who do not like to spend long stretches of time without interaction. I spend an average of 3-4 hours each day directly caring for Paco, Paz, & Pepe, sometimes more, depending on the day and situation. While I do have Three-Cans instead of one, it is important to understand that even one will require hours of your time each and every day. If you are someone who has a full-time job and is away from home 8+ hours per day, you will need assistance in caring for your toucan for the times you are away.

Toucans are expensive

Most often, when I say toucans are expensive, people think I am referring to the initial costs of purchasing one and that is certainly true. For example, if you’re looking for a Toco toucan baby akin to Paco, Paz, and Pepe, expect an estimated $10,000 investment. But the toucan costs I am referring to here are more about the ongoing expenses of having a toucan.

Toucans need a constant supply of fresh fruit and cheaper cheats such as canned or frozen will not cut it. They tend to prefer the higher-priced, more exotic produce such as papaya, mango, and fresh berries. Toucans also need specially formulated, low-iron pellets which you may need to ship in, as they are not readily available everywhere. Toucans must also be provided with a variety of toys for mental stimulation and enrichment – this is NOT an option. Our last Drs Foster & Smith toy order we purchased for the Three-Cans was well over $400. Those toys should last us a couple of months before they are either destroyed or no longer interesting (toucans are smart, get bored easily, and will not be interested in a toy for long). Sure, you can try to be a bit more economical in making some of your own toys – which we do – but you will need supplies and thinking you can make toucans “budget-friendly” is an illusion.

Toucans need a lot of space

Whether you plan to house your toucan indoors or out, it will require a much larger enclosure than one designed for a comparably-sized parrot. Toucans are very high-energy birds who spend most of their day bouncing around. They need lots of perches and room to expend their energy. If you plan to allow your toucan out in your home, be prepared for it to demand full run of the house. A toucan will not sit on a foraging tree like a parrot and work at toy for any extended period of time. It will most likely not even sit in one spot for more than 10 minutes.

Toucans are messy

Guess what? Toucans poop. A lot. They have an extremely fast metabolism and eat about every 15 minutes, which means they poop at roughly the same frequency. They also fling their fruit in the air when they eat – some of it makes it into their mouth, some of it doesn’t. My Three-Cans live in outdoor aviaries, so it’s relatively easy to hose their cages clean everyday. But what I know from speaking with others whose toucans reside indoors is that cleaning up poop and fruit goop is a constant battle. No matter where your toucan lives, be prepared to spend time cleaning up after them everyday. And remember – what goes in, comes out and their favorites – blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries – have staining power on the clothing and furniture you hold most dear.

Toucans are tough to train

Toucans are much more hyper than parrots, and therefore, more difficult to hold their attention for training. Take it from me – I have a lot of patience and interest in the principles of animal training and it takes me much longer than I would have expected to get the results I am striving for. Toucans are very intelligent and have the capacity to learn, it’s their limited attention span that slows your progress.

Toucans are not a domesticated animal and will not behave as such

Dogs and cats have been domesticated for centuries and have been specifically bred to enhance their behavioral characteristics to make them more suitable as human companions. Toucans still possess a very wild spirit, often only a generation or two separation from their native counterparts. Some of their behavior will mystify you, some of it will baffle you, some of it may downright annoy you. Toucans, like all birds, spend springtime ensconced in hormonal, mating behaviors that are much more difficult to manage than say, a dog whining in the kitchen. There is no manual on toucan behavior. Prepare to approach each day with a scientific curiosity and patience, knowing that your toucan was not designed to live in your world.

Few people will be willing/able to care for your toucan in your absence

As I have already repeatedly mentioned, toucans require a lot of time and patience to care for on a daily basis. Not many people have what it takes to take on a toucan, even if it’s only for a week. Be prepared that the great majority of people you might hope to pet sit your toucan will either be too intimidated, not interested, not available, or otherwise unreliable. It takes a special niche of person capable of taking on the full responsibility of your toucan’s care in your absence, which is definitely not as simple as coming in to give fresh kibble once a day. Be prepared that it will be extremely difficult to find someone up for the job and available when you need them. If you travel a lot or take extended holidays away from home, a toucan is probably not for you.

Most/many of your friends will not understand

I have very few “animal people” as friends. They still have their many positive qualities, but wanting to run their own personal zoo as I do is not one of them. Toucans are not like having a dog, yet all of your friends will compare your experience to that, as that is all many of them have experienced firsthand. Because a toucan is not a dog, the care and time you spend with your toucan may seem “crazy” or “obsessive” to others. Your friends will not understand why you have to be home at highly-specific times to care for your toucan, nor will they understand why you are devoting so much of your life to a bird. Be prepared to get kick-back when you have to bow out of activities and spontaneous weekend getaways because you have to take care of your toucan. If the thought of losing most of your spontaneity and missing out on extended happy hours with your closest pals because you have to spend time with your bird bums you out, then a toucan is probably not for you. Your toucan’s needs must be made a priority and often times, that requires sacrifices on your part that most others cannot relate to.

You will feel guilty most of the time

Perhaps this is just a “me” thing, but I feel guilty on a pretty consistent basis about the life my toucans lead. Sure, they’re adult birds that we adopted and we’re working hard to provide a much better life for them than they have ever received in the past, but…it never seems to feel good enough. I consistently wish I could provide them with more freedom, more space, more attention, more toys, more interesting activities…the list will always go on. The upside is that this feeling is a constant motivator to keep trying harder to make things “more perfect” but the downside is that they still have such a wild spirit and will never be able to live the life they were made for – flying free in their natural habitat. If you’re like me, looking at your bird in captivity will always make you feel conflicted and guilty and this is just a feeling you will have to learn to live with.

You will worry about things there are no definitive answers to

There is still so much we humans do not fully understand about toucans from ideal nutrition and care, to how to protect against their silent killer – Hemochromatosis, the iron storage disease they are highly susceptible to. There are so few resources on toucans and because of this, they are even more difficult to care for than a parrot. Even some of the best avian veterinary specialists out there do not have any experience with toucans and are often forced to base their medical decisions and advice on their experience with other birds. You will always try your best to provide the optimum care possible with the information available to you, but if you’re like me, you will always worry that we’re all doing it wrong.

A toucan is a long-term commitment

Toucans live an average of 20-25 years. If you decide to adopt a toucan, consider the above challenges as they apply to your life not just now, but for the next two decades. No matter where you move in the future, you will need to ensure you have enough space for your toucan’s appropriately-sized enclosure. You will have to budget for your toucan’s food, toys, and veterinary care for the duration of his life. Your life may change unexpectedly and you certainly cannot predict every bump along the road, but your commitment to your toucan must remain at the forefront for his lifetime.

 

As with most aspects of life, everything with toucans is a trade-off. What you put into them, you will get back. The benefits of toucan ownership are great, so long as you are willing to provide the care and commitment they require. Keep in mind that there are many types of toucans and some of the above may not necessarily apply to all species. If you’re considering a toucan, I urge you to look beyond the color scheme and do your research to determine which, if any, toucan will realistically suit your lifestyle.

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

Meet Pixie the Swainson’s: Toucan Species Special Feature

Posted on by
6

In continuing the series of special feature interviews with owners of some of the other species of toucans out there, I’m excited to present you with our newest toucan friend. In case you missed my first interview with Touk the Green Aracari, be sure to check it out – he’s quite the character! Today you will have the pleasure of meeting the adorably entertaining Pixie, a Swainson’s toucan, who is much closer in size to our Paco, Paz, and Pepe.

MEET PIXIE!

Swainson’s, or Chesnut Mandible, toucans are the second largest in toucan species, just slightly smaller than our Tocos, generally weighing about 1.3 lbs. In the toucan world, there are croakers and there are yelpers. You may be familiar with our Toco’s croaking sound, but Swainson’s are yelpers and have a much higher pitched call. Swainson’s are the most popular of the large toucan species to be kept as pets, due to the fact that they breed relatively easily in captivity and are quite hardy birds. Swainson’s toucans are not endangered and are considerably abundant in their native territories of Central America down to Columbia. They are also similar to our Tocos in the sense that they are not sexually-dimorphic birds, with both male and female Swainson’s alike in appearance.

Listen to Pixie’s special Swainson’s call:

Pixie is the frolicsome toucan pal to Jen and her husband, Jamie, who live in Western Canada. Pixie is a 7 year old Swainson’s whom they adopted when she was 2 years old. I met Jen through You Tube where we both shared our amusement of each other’s toucan videos, fascinated by the similarities between Pixie and the Three-Cans. Species aside, there are some things that are just toucan things - goofy nuances that you can only really relate to when you have the unique experience of spending your life with one. Now, I’ll let Jen take the mic and share with you her toucan love, Pixie.

JAMIE & PIXIE

Hi, Jen! Where did you adopt Pixie? How was your adoption process?

We adopted Pixie from Emerald Forest Bird Gardens after a lengthy two-year process of research, decisions, and finally importation paperwork. We needed to make sure a toucan was the right pet for us, as well as be confident that we were getting a legal and well taken care of bird. The hardest part was filing the paperwork with the Canadian government.

Watch Pixie turn herself into a toucan burrito:

What made you decide to adopt an adult bird, rather than a baby? Was it difficult to adjust her to the life change?

We didn’t specifically want an adult bird, but that is what was available at the time. Apparently, as per Emerald Forest Bird Gardens, a magician had owned her but he couldn’t get her to do some of the tricks…so he took her back to the breeder!

It wasn’t difficult to get her adjusted. I think it took ME longer – I was so afraid that I would do something accidental to harm her (just like any new mom thinks…hahaha). She was completely comfortable in our home within a couple of days.

PLAYFUL PIXIE

Have you ever owned any birds prior to Pixie? How are toucans different compared to your experiences?

I have not. In fact, Pixie is my first real pet (not including a newt I once owned). My husband, Jamie, however has had many pets ranging from dogs, bunnies, small birds, and an iguana. There are a couple of reasons why we specifically picked a toucan to add to our family: they are hypo-allergenic, have personality, and love affection. Pixie has actually bonded with us, and the three of us are a “flock”. We like to compare Pixie to having a cat because she is a little moody – sometimes she wants nothing but to cuddle, and other times, she has no interest in us and just wants to hop around and be curious all on her own.

BATHTIME FOR PIXIE

What is a typical day in your life with Pixie like?

Pixie is the center of our lives. We have placed her cage in our living room, where we spend most of our time. We have daily “chores” for her: we cut up fresh fruit (mostly papaya), change her water, and clean her cage. Every morning, we visit Pixie as soon as she wakes up – she is extra affectionate during this time and still, after 5 years, keeps melting our hearts. Nothing beats a little Pixie purr when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed!

Watch Pixie show this chick who’s boss in her house:

I work at home, so I get to say hello to Pixie multiple times throughout the day, while hubby goes off to work. We take Pixie out of her cage every evening and, depending on her mood, encourage her to play and fly around as much as possible (Pixie’s wings are not clipped). When it’s time for bed, she goes back into her cage and we cover her for the night.

Pixie is very curious. We try new “toys” with her all the time. Although we hang infant toys in her cage, we also make random things for her. Things she can stick her beak into and find treasures, things she can whip around, and things she can shred a little bit. Right now, Pixie LOVES her Lamaze octopus (infant toy) and a skinny squeak toy we put in a paper towel tube.

Watch Pixie investigate a box (this is Paco, Paz, & Pepe’s favorite Pixie video – they go crazy for it!):

Once a week, we do the “big cage clean” and scrub down the cage. To Pixie, this is playtime. She watches our every move and tries to take the tools/cloths we’re cleaning with. It’s cute, but we don’t really want a dirty rag in her mouth so she never gets the “toy”. We’ve had to deploy clean ”decoy” rags when she’s extra determined, or even move her to her travel kennel so we can clean without her getting into trouble.

DON'T MESS WITH PIXIE

Have you trained Pixie to do any special behaviors? Was it difficult?

We have trained her to go to the bathroom at her cage, but that is it. We do find it difficult…we’ve had to be 110% attentive and respond with a raspberry (her favorite treat) immediately…it took several months of this to really notice her adapting.

What is your favorite thing about having Pixie in your lives?

Her personality! We feel lucky that she accepted us as her flock. :)

PIXIE & HER FLOCKMATE, JAMIE

What would you say is the most challenging thing about owning a toucan?

Keeping up with her messiness! She flings her fruit when she’s eating it and it gets everywhere. I’ve been walking by when she’s got a raspberry and suddenly, I have raspberry on my shirt. I clean the walls and within the next week, fruit bits have already reappeared.

So cute – check out some Pixie playtime:

Would you recommend toucans as a pet? What would you tell someone before they chose to adopt one?

I would  absolutely recommend it – to the right people. I would make sure they know that having a toucan is like having a toddler. You need to make sure she is happy all the time by feeding her properly, interacting with her, and cleaning up after her. We spend 2-3 hours per day dedicated just to Pixie. It is a big commitment, but a very rewarding one.

FLYING HIGH WITH PIXIE

 

A big thank you to Jen, Jamie, and Pixie for sharing their lives with us! All of the photos in this article were provided by Jen & Jamie. You can also find the Pixie videos shown here, as well as plenty of others that will bowl you over with Pixie charm on Jen’s You Tube Channel. Stay tuned for more interviews from other species in the toucan family and be sure to let me know if you have any requests or if you know someone who would like to participate.

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share

A Must Read: Of Parrots and People by Mira Tweti

Posted on by
4

Having just finished reading Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating, and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species by Mira Tweti, I felt compelled to share this extraordinary book with all of my fellow bird lovers out there. The book was published in 2008, so while it is certainly not new, it is new to me and the information is still highly relevant.

(photo courtesy of Good Reads)

While my living situation is currently not conducive to taking on a parrot, I have always hoped to one day have the pleasure of sharing my life with one. On one of the bird forums I often get my parrot-fix from, someone recommended this book to another who was considering purchasing their first bird. I feel so fortunate to have been connected with it, as it now falls into the small category of books that I have read which I call “perspective changers”. By that I mean books that have so deeply shift my internal beliefs that I know they are forever, unshakably changed.

(photo courtesy of Emily Springfield)

While this book’s sole focus is on parrots (no toucans here), it will undoubtedly make you appreciate the wonders of all birds and at the same time question our human need to possess nature and the true cost of that desire. Mira’s intense research is evident immediately – this book is chock full of surprising and appalling facts about parrots that many of us are unaware of, especially considering that, “the number of pet birds in the United States today is estimated at between 40 – 60 million, following cats (77 million) and dogs (65 million)”, making parrots the third most popular pet kept today.

Here is an interview Mira Tweti did on parrots as pets for CBS news:

I hesitate to share how emotionally wrenching this book is because despite the fact that it broke my heart to tears several times over with the atrocities our fellow humans are capable of, it is an engrossing read that you will not soon forget and an important source of  information to base future decisions upon.

Of Parrot and People covers all aspects of the plight of both captive and wild parrot populations, including topics such as parrot intelligence, captive breeding, the over-crowding of parrot rescues with unwanted pets, smuggling, conservation, and her ideas for the future of parrots and potential solutions.

Mira Tweti is an incredibly talented writer who has the unique ability to convey the desperate emotion and urgency of her subject without seeming accusatory, overly moralistic, or condescending. To take this dense subject and make it so captivatingly accessible to everyone is a feat in and of itself.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who shares their life with a parrot, is considering getting one, or simply is an animal lover of any kind who would like to learn more about these amazing creatures whose intricate lives are still such a mystery to us. Just a warning – be sure you clear your schedule to allow time to fully absorb yourself in this world – this is definitely one of those books you won’t be able to put down.

I purchased my digital copy of this book through Apple’s iBooks, but you can also get yourself a hardcopy on Amazon.

(photo courtesy of Cage XChange Project)

Mira Tweti is currently piloting the first public awareness campaign for the estimated 30 million caged companion parrots in the US, called the Parrot Care Project & Cage xChange Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to “fill the millenniums-long void of information about the physical and psychological needs of parrots” by educating people on their proper care, focused primarily on appropriate cage size requirements. For more information and to support this cause, you can find them on Facebook by clicking the above link. Their first event is April 29th in Los Angeles. Please show them your support by liking their page, volunteering for events in your area, and donating funds to this worthy cause.

Print Friendly Print Get a PDF version of this webpage PDF
Share