Osa Peninsula Chronicles

The largest and possibly the most raucous of the five toucan species found in Costa Rica the Chestnut-mandibled Toucan is a common inhabitant of the Osa Peninsula.  Its characteristic calls and large yellow and chestnut colored bill are unique to this bird and is only one of two toucan species found on the peninsula.   You can usually find them in forested and semi-open areas and trees in clearings feeding mainly on fruit and an occasional insect, lizard, snake or bird nestling.  Toucans will commonly feed their mate. It is typical to find them gathering in emergent trees at dusk and dawn repeating their call incessantly hopping from limb to limb making sure everybody knows they are there.  They bathe in hollowed out cavities high up in the trees where water has accumulated and nest in tree cavities or old woodpecker holes from January to June.   This photo was taken on the Friends of the Osa property at the Greg Gund Conservation Center, in a small clearing within secondary rainforest.

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan call :