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.
Incubation of the 2-4 eggs is done by both parents, as is the feeding of the fledglings. Incubation lasts sixteen days and the young fly from the nest at 43-50 days of age. Toucans prefer to remain high in the trees and hop from branch to branch. When sleeping, the toucan turns its head over the back and brings the tail forward to cover it. The thirty-eight species of toucans are placed in five genera and are found in tropical America from southern Mexico to Bolivia and northern Argentina.