That's exactly why I posted this information. It's great to post pictures of pretty birds, but it is so important to know the care that is required to keep these magnificent creatures healthy! Thanks for passing it on to your friend...

Thanks for the info Kathie, I would love to see a toucan in real life. I know absolutely nothing about them, so I found this information very valuable. They really eat 20oz of finally chopped food a day? Thats a ton!!!

I'm sure they waste a little bit... but not much. These guys are big and they fly back and forth all day, so I guess they burn most of it off. The Keel Billed (didn't post pictures of that one) eats about 15 oz. He's a bit smaller than the Toco, but not too much smaller.

This is the Keel Billed:

Kathie, what is the reason it can't be bigger than 3/8"? Do you know what these birds do in the wild with bigger fruits?

I'm very curious - what does that big beak feel like?? It looks like shiny plastic or patent leather.

I haven't gotten that close yet. Hopefully I'll be able to let you know! These are some big toucans!

I'm not really sure what they do in the wild. I believe I read that they feast on berries, which would normally be smaller in size. They seem to swallow their food whole.

I thought the food had to be smallish because they kind of toss it back and swallow unlike our hook bills who grind up bits before swallowing.

Tocos are gorgeous. Swainsons are my favorite and I'd love to meet one even if they do yelp and call. The toucanets are beautiful too....the Guyana is really something, at least from what I've seen in pics.

I can tell you that they sure do make a mess! I have found blueberry and raspberry "remnants" as far away as 6 -8 feet from their cage!

When I stopped by the store last Friday, I saw these two birds. They are beautiful for sure. How they hold their heads up is beyond me with those big beaks! They also scared the crap out of me because the didn't climb around as our parrots do, the JUMPED! Boy can they jump.
Their poop is basically liquid like a Lory....yuck! LOL
Glad to see someone else feeds Mazuri! I've been feeding Mazuri maintenance for years! Don't know what you charge, but I only pay $27 for a 25 lb bag. If it is good enough for the zoos, it is good enough for my flock. Not that everyone in the flock will eat Mazuri. The conures insist on Zupreem (fruity) and Sheela the semi-plucker will only eat Harrisons for which I'm grateful because at $26 for 5lbs, I certainly couldn't afford to fee the entire flock Harrison's.