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The green aracari is a small toucan confined to a small area in northern parts of South America. At this time no sup-species are readily defined. There is little information on the natural history of the green aracari in the wild and in captivity.
Toucans, toucanets and aracaris form the distinct family Ramphastidae, which is comprised of 41 species. The most noticeable feature of this family is the characteristically long beak, which, despite its robust appearance, is a very light structure that is easily damaged. The body of ramphastids are mainly black and the under-tail coverts are red. The edges of the beak are noticeably serrated, and the tongue fills the entire length of the beak and has a frond-like edging. The feet are zygodactyl (two toes forward, two toes behind). The remainder of the birds varies by species.
The Green Aracari is one of the few species of toucans that are dimorphic. The female has a chestnut brown head and neck, whereas the male has a black head and neck. The green aracari’s back wings and tail are slate green to olive, the rump crimson, and underparts a sulphur-yellow. Despite their name, and although they are quite colorful, green aracaris boast very little green plumage. Only the female has dark-olive green feathers on the back. In both sexes the bill is approximately 3.2 inches long. The upper mandible is yellow and orange with a black line separating the two colors. The lower mandible is black. The base of the bill is red. The skin before the eye is blue and behind it is red. The iris is black. The male and female weigh between 121 and 146 grams. They measure between 11-12 inches from head to tail.
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