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

As we talk, on occasion the screeching call of a toucan pierces the quiet, and miles above, the same giant black birds hover menacingly in groups, surveying everything below.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Last March, officers found 21 parrots and a keel-billed toucan while searching a sedan at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Tecate, according to CBP.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

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

Díaz, a tourist guide, shines a laser pointer at a woodpecker and a toucan, and then moves it over to the blue tail of a Yucatecan jay.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 3, 2023

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

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon