ADVENTURES WITH FRED

Bird in Brief

The Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus)

• Male and female differ in size but alike in color: dominantly green with highlights of whites, grays and reddish browns, blending in with the colors of their tree dwellings

• Mating season typically March through July

• Nest in abandoned tree cavities previously made by smaller species, laying three to four eggs

• Incubation period about 16 days, with chicks taking flight as early as 40 days and not returning to the nest at all at about 43 days

• Omnivorous, eating lizards and eggs or nestlings of other birds when possible, though insects and fruits are the largest part of their diet

• Found from southern Mexico through Central America to Venezuela and Peru, principally in mixed mountain forest from sea level to 2,600 meters, but more common above 900 meters, preferring dense forest and highest tree branches

Each month we'll highlight one of Fred's amazing bird photographs. Click lower right for more information. Complete the online puzzle

Source: MacawMountain.com

Photographed in December 2022, high up in the mountains south of Cartago, Costa Rica, during a rainstorm