Toco Toucan Scientific Name: Ramphastos toco Range: Eastern South America Habitat: Canopies of rain forests and palm groves Natural Diet: Fruit (especially the dry fruit of fig and palm trees), large insects, small reptiles, and other vertebrates Zoo Diet: Fruit and commercial toucan pellets Physical  Characteristics: Toco toucans have black bodies, white necks, and average 24 inches in length. Their large colorful beak is about 7 ½ inches long and is made of a thin, flat layer around honeycomb-shaped bone. Beak edges are rough and saw-like, giving them a firm grip on slippery fruits. The long beak helps the heavy toucan reach fruits on tiny branches that could not support the bird’s weight. Toco toucans are weak flyers with short, rounded wings. They have strong legs with two toes pointing forward and two pointing back. This gives them a firm grasp with their feet. Behavior: Toco toucans spend most of the time in trees. When they are on the ground, they move with clumsy hops. They are very active and restless birds that tend to fly high in the air. The colors on their beaks help toucans recognize each other. Reproduction: Toco toucans select nest sites high in the trees, often using holes left from other bird nests. Two to four white eggs are incubated for 15 to 16 days. The naked and blind young remain in the nest for at least six weeks, where they are cared for by both mother and father. Notes:   Toucans are not shy birds; they will even fly into a house and steal food! At the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, you can find toco toucans in the Central Zoo.