Andigena laminirostris
The Plate-billed Mountain Toucan (Andigena laminirostris) is a vibrant and striking bird endemic to the Andean cloud forests, easily identified by its distinctive and colorful bill. Measuring 43-51 cm (17-20 in) in length and weighing 260-380 g (9.2-13.4 oz), this toucan boasts glossy black upperparts, slate blue-grey underparts, and a bright lemon-yellow rump. Its most unique feature is the massive, predominantly yellow-orange and black bill, adorned with a bright red tip and a prominent, fl...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane and subtropical cloud forests of the Andes, typically found at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 3,200 meters (3,900 to 10,500 feet).
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide variety of fruits, especially those from Lauraceae, Ericaceae, and Arecaceae families; they also opportunistically supplement their diet with insects, spiders, bird eggs, nestlings, and small vertebrates, foraging by gleaning.
Plate-billed Mountain Toucans are diurnal, typically observed foraging in pairs or small family groups of up to six to ten individuals, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They are agile foragers, gleaning fruits and other food items from the canopy and sub-canopy layers of the forest. T...
The Plate-billed Mountain Toucan is endemic to the humid montane and subtropical cloud forests of the Andes, with a relatively restricted geographic distribution. Its primary range extends across western Colombia, encompassing the western and central Andes, and continues south through western Ecu...
Least Concern
- The 'plate' on its bill, a flattened lamina on the culmen, is entirely unique to this species among all toucans. - Despite its massive size, the Plate-billed Mountain Toucan's bill is surprisingly lightweight, composed of a honeycomb-like structure of keratin and bone. - Its bill serves multipl...