Lettered aracari facts for kids
The lettered aracari (Pteroglossus inscriptus) is a colorful bird that belongs to the toucan family. You can find these interesting birds in parts of South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. They are known for their unique bills, which have markings that look a bit like writing!
Quick facts for kids Lettered aracari |
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| Subspecies P. i. humboldti (above), P. i. inscriptus (below) |
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Pteroglossus
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| Species: |
inscriptus
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| Range of P. i. inscriptus | |
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Contents
Types of Lettered Aracaris
Scientists group animals to understand them better. The lettered aracari has two main types, called subspecies. These are P. i. inscriptus and P. i. humboldti.
How Scientists Classify Them
Some bird experts, like the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), recognize these two subspecies. However, another group, BirdLife International, thinks P. i. humboldti is actually its own separate species, which they call "Humboldt's araçari." For this article, we'll follow the idea that there are two subspecies.
What Do They Look Like?
The lettered aracari is about 33 to 35.5 centimeters (13 to 14 inches) long. That's roughly the length of a school ruler!
Size and Weight
The P. i. inscriptus subspecies usually weighs between 100 and 130 grams (3.5 to 4.6 ounces). The P. i. humboldti subspecies is a bit heavier, weighing about 110 to 185 grams (3.9 to 6.5 ounces). In both types, the male bird is usually bigger than the female and has a longer bill.
Their Unique Bills
Their bills are very special and have a cool pattern.
- The P. i. inscriptus has a bill that's mostly yellow on the top part (maxilla). It has a thin black line on top, a wide black tip, and black "script" markings along the bottom edge. The lower part of its bill (mandible) is pale yellow with a wide black base and tip, plus a few black "script" marks near the end.
- The P. i. humboldti has a top bill similar to the inscriptus. However, its lower bill is almost completely black.
Feather Colors
- Males of the P. i. inscriptus subspecies have a black head. Around their eyes, they have bare skin that can be blue, violet-gray, or red. Their back, wings, and tail are dark green, but their rump (the area above the tail) is bright crimson. Their chest, belly, and feathers under the tail are yellow with some pale, brownish-yellow spots. The feathers on their legs can be green or half green and half pale yellow.
- Females of the P. i. inscriptus have chestnut (reddish-brown) feathers on their throat and the sides of their head and neck. Below the chestnut on their throat, there's a thin black band.
- Young birds look like lighter versions of the adults.
- Both male and female P. i. humboldti birds have very similar colors to the inscriptus subspecies, but their leg feathers are cinnamon or reddish-brown.
Where Do They Live?
The lettered aracari lives in different parts of South America.
Geographic Range
- The P. i. inscriptus subspecies is found in north-central Brazil, south of the Amazon River. It also lives in northern Bolivia and parts of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. There's also a small group of them in far eastern Brazil.
- The P. i. humboldti subspecies lives in southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northwestern Bolivia, and western Brazil.
Their Forest Homes
These birds live in various types of lowland evergreen forests in the Amazon basin. This includes forests that flood (called várzea), forests on higher ground (called terra firme), and forests that have grown back after being cut down (secondary forests). They also live in forests along rivers (gallery forests) and on forested islands. They usually live up to about 500 meters (1,600 feet) above sea level, but sometimes they can be found as high as 900 meters (3,000 feet).
Behavior
Feeding Habits
The lettered aracari mostly looks for food high up in the trees, in the forest canopy. However, they will sometimes go closer to the ground, especially when they are following army ants. Small groups, which might be family members, often search for food together. Their diet is mainly fruit, but they also eat small insects and spiders. They are also known to raid the nests of other birds to eat eggs and young chicks.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The nesting season for the lettered aracari seems to be from December to July in the western parts of its home range. In eastern Brazil, it's from August to March. Like other toucans, they are believed to nest in holes in trees. Not much else is known about how they raise their young.
Sounds They Make
The lettered aracari is not considered a very noisy bird. Its song has been described in a few ways:
- "An often long series of guttural cha notes."
- "A fast series of sharp kkik (or kkuk, or kkek) notes."
- "A series of electric grunts: jrnk jrnk jrnk…"
They also make single "chak or kak notes." Besides vocal sounds, they can make a bill rattling sound, "bdddt", which is thought to be used when they are fighting or showing aggression.
Conservation Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the two subspecies of lettered aracari as separate species for conservation purposes.
Least Concern Status
Both types of lettered aracari are listed as "Least Concern." This means that their populations are not currently in immediate danger. They have large areas where they live, and while the exact number of birds isn't known, their populations are thought to be decreasing slowly.
Threats to Their Survival
No immediate major threats have been identified for these birds. However, they rely on healthy forest habitats. Even though they can live in forests that have started to grow back, they are still vulnerable in the long run to the widespread cutting down of forests in the Amazon. In different parts of their range, they are considered rare to fairly common.
See also
In Spanish: Arasarí marcado para niños
