People Are Realizing Toucans Are Stranger Than They Thought, So They’re Sharing Facts About Them In A Viral Thread.

When asked what their favorite birds are, most people say royal eagles, gorgeous hawks, and fluffy owls. However, others (like me) believe that the colorful, large-beaked toucan is the actual monarch of all birds.

Once you learn more about these birds, they take on a whole other level of amazing and strange. And then there’s no way out of that rabbit hole.

Did you know that toucans have a really intriguing sleeping appearance? Do you know what a toucan’s huge brilliant beak is for? Have you ever envisioned the bones of a toucan? The answers are intriguing, so read on and prepare to tell all of your friends and coworkers about how incredibly wonderful toucans are (and why they’re so much cooler than eagles).

#1 Toucans are incredible birds, and here are some fascinating, unique, and strange facts about them.

#2

Their Beak is Taller Than Their Entire {Friggin} skull

#3

#4

When you hear the word “toucan,” you probably think of one specific genus of toucans, the Ramphastos—aka, the common toucans. With their orange beak and black-and-white plumage, they are difficult to confuse with other birds. ‘Typical?’ Fantastic is a better word.

#5 A toucan’s bill has a network of blood veins, which the bird extends to reduce body temperature, similar to how elephants use their large ears.

#6 This is how baby toucans appear.

#7 Isn’t she adorable?

There are four more toucan genera: Andigena (mountain toucanets), Selenidera (dichromatic toucanets), Pteroglossus (araçaris), and Aulacorhynchus (green toucanets). Woodpeckers are related to toucans, but they are just distant relatives, so don’t expect toucans to start hammering palm trees with their beak.

#8 The tongue of a toucan resembles a feather and can grow to reach 6 inches long (15 centimeters)

#9 The sheer size of the beak might lead one to believe it weighs a lot, however, thanks to the little air vents, the beak is actually rather light.

#10

Toucans acquire their name from the extinct language of Brazil’s indigenous Tupi people via Portuguese. These birds were known as ‘tukana’ by the Tupi, and their name hasn’t altered much through the ages.

#11 The beak of an X-rayed toucan

#12 Belize’s national bird is the rainbow-billed toucan

#13

#14

Toucans mostly consume fruit. However, they are “opportunistically omnivorous,” which implies that in order to live, they eat creatures such as lizards, birds, and insects. Imagine you’re a vegan who is abruptly transported to a distant carnivorous planet where there are no fruits, vegetables, plants, or nuts and the only sources of nourishment are animals. You are promised that you will be rescued in a month. You’d eat anything you needed to consume to get by till then, wouldn’t you?

Source Credit Bored Panda