Ramphastidae

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | 700+ words | Copyright

Ramphastidae (toucans; class Aves, order Piciformes) A family of medium- to large-sized birds which have brightly coloured and contrasting black, white, red, yellow, green, and blue plumage (e.g. the nine Pteroglossus species have black heads, throats, and backs, with a green gloss on the back, bright red rumps, and yellow under-parts with bands of red and black across the breast). They have very large, deep bills coloured black, red, and yellow, with bare skin around the eyes. Their wings are short and rounded, their tails usually long, and their legs strong, with zygodactylous feet. They are gregarious, inhabit forests, feed on fruit, insects, and young birds, and nest in tree holes. There are six genera, with about 40 species, found in Central and S. America.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Ramphastidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Ramphastidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Ramphastidae.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Ramphastidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Ramphastidae.html

Learn more about citation styles