I had a memorable experience with a Toucan (not this exact type) when I was little. They were one of my favorite animals, for no particular reason other than all those detailed in this article, and my family and I were in Brazil on vacation. We spent some time in Iguaçu (I highly recommend a visit to the Falls), and went to a massive aviary there; I don't think I knew that such a thing existed up to that point in my life. There was a walkway across a water feature and when I walked up there was a Toucan sitting right on the guardrail. For the next 45 minutes or so, I stood face-to-face with this Toucan, and was able to kind of lead him along, walking, as he affably snapped at a stick or something I had picked up to entice him. Finally my parents were ready to go and had to drag me out. It ended up being a kind of transcendental experience.
P.S. writing this led me to look up and figure out the actual place that I went, and the cover photo for the Parque des Aves looks almost exactly like the Toucan I wrote about and is sitting in the same place. Note: this trip was almost 25 years ago
The call is so delicate for like, a big honkin bird, which I find perfect.
I look forward to the Bird of the Week newsletters - thanks for writing them & adding the videos.
I had a memorable experience with a Toucan (not this exact type) when I was little. They were one of my favorite animals, for no particular reason other than all those detailed in this article, and my family and I were in Brazil on vacation. We spent some time in Iguaçu (I highly recommend a visit to the Falls), and went to a massive aviary there; I don't think I knew that such a thing existed up to that point in my life. There was a walkway across a water feature and when I walked up there was a Toucan sitting right on the guardrail. For the next 45 minutes or so, I stood face-to-face with this Toucan, and was able to kind of lead him along, walking, as he affably snapped at a stick or something I had picked up to entice him. Finally my parents were ready to go and had to drag me out. It ended up being a kind of transcendental experience.
P.S. writing this led me to look up and figure out the actual place that I went, and the cover photo for the Parque des Aves looks almost exactly like the Toucan I wrote about and is sitting in the same place. Note: this trip was almost 25 years ago
https://iguazufalls.com/wp-content/uploads/dasaves1.jpg