Selenidera nattereri
The Tawny-tufted Toucanet (*Selenidera nattereri*) is a striking, medium-sized member of the toucanet family, measuring approximately 33 cm (13 inches) in length and weighing between 160-220 grams. Males are distinguished by their glossy black head, throat, breast, and belly, contrasting sharply with a vibrant grass-green back and wings, a bright red rump, and a bicolored bill that is black at the base and bright orange towards the tip. A key field mark, and the source of its common name, is ...
The Tawny-tufted Toucanet primarily inhabits the humid, lowland tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin, typically found at elevations ranging from sea level up to about 500-600 meters. It favors the sub-canopy and mid-story layers of mature forests, often near watercourses.
Primarily frugivorous, the Tawny-tufted Toucanet feeds extensively on a wide variety of fruits, supplemented by insects, spiders, and occasionally small vertebrates or bird eggs. They forage by hopping and gleaning, using their large bills to pluck fruit and probe for invertebrates.
This diurnal toucanet is typically observed singly or in pairs, though small family groups can sometimes be seen foraging together in the forest canopy and sub-canopy. They employ an agile foraging strategy, hopping among branches to glean fruits and insects, often stretching to reach distant ber...
The Tawny-tufted Toucanet is a resident species found throughout the northern Amazon basin. Its core breeding and year-round range extends across southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, eastern Peru, and extensively throughout northern and western Brazil, particularly in the states of Amazonas...
Least Concern
- The Tawny-tufted Toucanet's scientific name, *Selenidera nattereri*, honors Austrian naturalist Johann Natterer, who explored Brazil extensively in the early 19th century. - Despite their large and seemingly cumbersome bills, toucanets' bills are remarkably lightweight due to their honeycomb-li...