toucan

American  

[too-kan, -kahn, too-kahn] / ˈtu kæn, -kɑn, tuˈkɑn /

noun

1. any of several usually brightly colored, fruit-eating birds of the family Ramphastidae, of tropical America, having a very large bill.

2. Astronomy. Toucan, the constellation Tucana.

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toucan British  

/ ˈtuːkən /

noun

1. any tropical American arboreal fruit-eating bird of the family Ramphastidae, having a large brightly coloured bill with serrated edges and a bright plumage

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Etymology

Origin of toucan

First recorded in 1550–60; from French, from Portuguese tucano, from Tupi tucan (imitative of its cry)

Explanation

A toucan is a brilliantly colored bird with a comically large beak. Different species of toucans inhabit the canopies of rainforests in Central and South America. A toucan's bill is so big that it measures up to a third of the bird's total length! How does the toucan hold up that huge bill? Despite its size, the toucan's bill is surprisingly lightweight, made of a spongy material with many air pockets. Toucans use their bills to reach hanging fruit, snag insects or lizards, attract mates with their vibrant colors, and even to keep themselves cool.

Example Sentences

In contrast, larger birds such as the Toco toucan or the Curl-crested jay disperse the seeds of trees with a higher carbon storage potential.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2024

But don’t overlook the toucan, or the hopping tiny frogs, as the Adventureland Treehouse is full of life.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2023

We saw our first chestnut-eared aracari, a kind of toucan with a signature blue patch around its eye.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Without the promise of a toucan or a biblical torrent of shorebirds, what was the rush to go see some sparrows I’d seen a thousand times before?

From Slate • Oct. 27, 2021

Maybe a stray dog should be wandering by, or a toucan.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon