Toucan – Tropical Icon

BirdNote Daily

In the Amazon, a cacophony of birdcalls surrounds you. One piercing, cheerful yelp catches your ear. Could this be the same sound you remember from a Saturday morning in your childhood? The Cuvier's Toucan could have been the inspiration for Toucan Sam, the spokesbird for Froot Loops cereal. Its huge bill is surprisingly light, and enables the bird to pluck fruit – or other birds' nests! – hanging from small, outer branches. That bill may scare off potential predators. And it may also help regulate the bird's temperature.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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