The bill is remarkably light in weight. A thin horny sheath encloses a hollow that is crisscrossed by many thin, bony, supporting rods. Despite this internal strengthening, the bills are fragile and sometimes break. The biggest bill is that of the male toco toucan. The exaggerated beak allows the bird to reach berries or seeds from twigs too thin to bear its weight.
Food is seized in the tip, the head is tossed upward, and the food is thrown back into the throat.
Toucans primarily eat fruit, but also take insects, an occasional lizard, and eggs and nestlings of smaller birds. The pattern of the bill varies according to species and this distinctiveness may help birds recognize each other. Toucans will offer food to their companions and may also preen them with the tips of their long bills. The bills may also be used during courtship. Toucans nest in natural tree cavities.