Plate-billed mountain toucan

Andigena laminirostris

The plate-billed mountain toucan is a species of bird in the family Ramphastidae. It is native to the west slope of Ecuador and extreme southern Colombia, where it lives in the high-altitude humid mountain forests of the Andes.

The species has other names like the laminated hill-toucan, laminated mountain-toucan, and plain-billed mountain-toucan.
Plate-billed mountain toucan - closeup, La Planada Nature Reserve, Colombia Here it is, the treasure bird of La Planada Nature Reserve, the main reason for birders to visit, and thereby an important source of income. Within Colombia, The plate-billed mountain toucan is only found in the extreme south, in a tiny range of very wet cloud forests. On our last morning in La Planada Nature Reserve, we had our 3rd attempt of trying to find them. On the two days prior, we did hear them in the distance, but visibility was close to none. They are big, loud birds that move in pairs or even groups. So when in the right place, they aren't the hardest bird to discover. It is typical for them to attend the edge of a forest, moving to feed, and doing so loudly. Getting them in range, however, is harder, and was our main task ahead. As luck would have it, something magical happened. The "viewpoint" cleared up. We hadn't seen any sign of the sun in days, only thick white mist, but there it was. What was once plain white now revealed a beautiful deep forested valley several miles across. Now we could not only hear them, but also see them in the far distance, using binoculars. We counted six! The following hour was spent strategically luring them into our direction using well-timed playback. Sometimes they flew in the opposite direction, and we had to start all over again. Once within the 50 metres range, we tried to be smart and strategically wait out fruit trees we figured might be popular. But the birds aren't that simple minded, it seems. They do as they please. We had a good exercise running up and down hills at length to find small gaps in the canopy giving somewhat of a view. Ultimately, we captured 3 individuals, one of which is easy to recognize by its busted bill. Another interesting detail captured that is not always obvious from most photos is that plate-billed is to be taken literally. The "plate" really looks like somebody hammered a piece of wood to the side of the bill. I'll be sharing shots generously, including some that are "light-challenged". Simply because they are awesome birds and its a species worth documenting. They are under pressure due to their tiny range being fragmented, another threat is the pet trade. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77510/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_first_sight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77511/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_feeding_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77512/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_cleaning_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77513/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77514/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77516/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_pre-flight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77517/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77518/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_remote_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77519/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_2_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77520/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_rocket_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77521/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html Andigena laminirostris,Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Fall,Geotagged,La Planada Nature Reserve,Plate-billed mountain toucan,South America

Appearance

Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans have a large laterally compressed bill, the front half of which is black and the back half is mostly red with a raised yellow plate on the upper mandible, a unique feature for which the bird was named. They have a reddish brown iris and a bare ocular area that is yellow below and turquoise green above. The crown and nape are black and the rest of the upper parts are bronzy olive. The side of the neck and underparts are blue gray with a yellow patch on the flanks which is partially covered by the wings. There is a yellow rump patch, and its tail is black with chestnut tips. The crissum is bright red, and the thighs are brownish maroon.

The plate-billed mountain toucan is about 42 to 53 centimeters in length, with a relatively lightweight bill up to 10 centimeters long. The average male weighs about 314 grams and the female about 303 grams . It is zygodactylous, with two toes facing forward and two pointing back.
Plate-billed mountain toucan - feeding, La Planada Nature Reserve, Colombia Here it is, the treasure bird of La Planada Nature Reserve, the main reason for birders to visit, and thereby an important source of income. Within Colombia, The plate-billed mountain toucan is only found in the extreme south, in a tiny range of very wet cloud forests. On our last morning in La Planada Nature Reserve, we had our 3rd attempt of trying to find them. On the two days prior, we did hear them in the distance, but visibility was close to none. They are big, loud birds that move in pairs or even groups. So when in the right place, they aren't the hardest bird to discover. It is typical for them to attend the edge of a forest, moving to feed, and doing so loudly. Getting them in range, however, is harder, and was our main task ahead. As luck would have it, something magical happened. The "viewpoint" cleared up. We hadn't seen any sign of the sun in days, only thick white mist, but there it was. What was once plain white now revealed a beautiful deep forested valley several miles across. Now we could not only hear them, but also see them in the far distance, using binoculars. We counted six! The following hour was spent strategically luring them into our direction using well-timed playback. Sometimes they flew in the opposite direction, and we had to start all over again. Once within the 50 metres range, we tried to be smart and strategically wait out fruit trees we figured might be popular. But the birds aren't that simple minded, it seems. They do as they please. We had a good exercise running up and down hills at length to find small gaps in the canopy giving somewhat of a view. Ultimately, we captured 3 individuals, one of which is easy to recognize by its busted bill. Another interesting detail captured that is not always obvious from most photos is that plate-billed is to be taken literally. The "plate" really looks like somebody hammered a piece of wood to the side of the bill. I'll be sharing shots generously, including some that are "light-challenged". Simply because they are awesome birds and its a species worth documenting. They are under pressure due to their tiny range being fragmented, another threat is the pet trade. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77510/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_first_sight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77512/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_cleaning_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77513/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77514/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77515/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_closeup_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77516/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_pre-flight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77517/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77518/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_remote_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77519/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_2_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77520/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_rocket_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77521/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html Andigena laminirostris,Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,La Planada Nature Reserve,Plate-billed mountain toucan,South America

Distribution

Plate-billed mountain toucans are found in the western foothills of the Andes of western Ecuador and far southwestern Colombia. In Colombia, they are found from Pita Canyon in southwestern Colombia and south to the northwestern border of Morona-Santiago Province, in Ecuador. Plate-billed mountain toucans inhabit the humid forest and edges of the temperate forest of the lateral slope of the Andes Mountains. The humid forest features abundant epiphytes, bromeliads and mosses. These forests receive an average of 14 feet of rainfall per year and the canopy ranges from 6 to 10 meters high. Their altitudinal range is between 1600 and 2600 meters above sea level, and has been observed several times at 3100 meters elevation in Imbabura . Because of its altitudinal range, plate-billed mountain toucans share their ecological niche with the Andean cock-of-the-rock. Their estimated life area is 14300 km2.
Plate-billed mountain toucan - close perch, La Planada Nature Reserve, Colombia Here it is, the treasure bird of La Planada Nature Reserve, the main reason for birders to visit, and thereby an important source of income. Within Colombia, The plate-billed mountain toucan is only found in the extreme south, in a tiny range of very wet cloud forests. On our last morning in La Planada Nature Reserve, we had our 3rd attempt of trying to find them. On the two days prior, we did hear them in the distance, but visibility was close to none. They are big, loud birds that move in pairs or even groups. So when in the right place, they aren't the hardest bird to discover. It is typical for them to attend the edge of a forest, moving to feed, and doing so loudly. Getting them in range, however, is harder, and was our main task ahead. As luck would have it, something magical happened. The "viewpoint" cleared up. We hadn't seen any sign of the sun in days, only thick white mist, but there it was. What was once plain white now revealed a beautiful deep forested valley several miles across. Now we could not only hear them, but also see them in the far distance, using binoculars. We counted six! The following hour was spent strategically luring them into our direction using well-timed playback. Sometimes they flew in the opposite direction, and we had to start all over again. Once within the 50 metres range, we tried to be smart and strategically wait out fruit trees we figured might be popular. But the birds aren't that simple minded, it seems. They do as they please. We had a good exercise running up and down hills at length to find small gaps in the canopy giving somewhat of a view. Ultimately, we captured 3 individuals, one of which is easy to recognize by its busted bill. Another interesting detail captured that is not always obvious from most photos is that plate-billed is to be taken literally. The "plate" really looks like somebody hammered a piece of wood to the side of the bill. I'll be sharing shots generously, including some that are "light-challenged". Simply because they are awesome birds and its a species worth documenting. They are under pressure due to their tiny range being fragmented, another threat is the pet trade. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77510/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_first_sight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77511/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_feeding_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77512/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_cleaning_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77513/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77514/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77515/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_closeup_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77516/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_pre-flight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77518/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_remote_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77519/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_2_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77520/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_rocket_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77521/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html Andigena laminirostris,Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Fall,Geotagged,La Planada Nature Reserve,Plate-billed mountain toucan,South America

Status

While it is still a fairly common species, the Plate-billed mountain toucan is considered Near Threatened by the IUCN and is in decline because of habitat being lost to deforestation. It is also poached for the trade in exotic birds. The plate-billed mountain toucan is the flagship bird of the La Planada Nature Reserve in Colombia.
Plate-billed mountain toucan, Quinde Luna, Ecuador This beautiful species also occurs in the deep south of Colombia, where on an earlier tour it took us 3 days to see it. This observation is a little less wild. Whilst the bird naturally occurs in this area, it's circling around the feeder area of Quinde Luna. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/127288/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_closeup_quinde_luna_ecuador.html Andigena laminirostris,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Fall,Geotagged,Plate-billed mountain toucan,Quinde Luna,South America,World

Habitat

Plate-billed mountain toucans are found in the western foothills of the Andes of western Ecuador and far southwestern Colombia. In Colombia, they are found from Pita Canyon in southwestern Colombia and south to the northwestern border of Morona-Santiago Province, in Ecuador. Plate-billed mountain toucans inhabit the humid forest and edges of the temperate forest of the lateral slope of the Andes Mountains. The humid forest features abundant epiphytes, bromeliads and mosses. These forests receive an average of 14 feet of rainfall per year and the canopy ranges from 6 to 10 meters high. Their altitudinal range is between 1600 and 2600 meters above sea level, and has been observed several times at 3100 meters elevation in Imbabura . Because of its altitudinal range, plate-billed mountain toucans share their ecological niche with the Andean cock-of-the-rock. Their estimated life area is 14300 km2.
Plate-billed mountain toucan - pre-flight, La Planada Nature Reserve, Colombia Here it is, the treasure bird of La Planada Nature Reserve, the main reason for birders to visit, and thereby an important source of income. Within Colombia, The plate-billed mountain toucan is only found in the extreme south, in a tiny range of very wet cloud forests. On our last morning in La Planada Nature Reserve, we had our 3rd attempt of trying to find them. On the two days prior, we did hear them in the distance, but visibility was close to none. They are big, loud birds that move in pairs or even groups. So when in the right place, they aren't the hardest bird to discover. It is typical for them to attend the edge of a forest, moving to feed, and doing so loudly. Getting them in range, however, is harder, and was our main task ahead. As luck would have it, something magical happened. The "viewpoint" cleared up. We hadn't seen any sign of the sun in days, only thick white mist, but there it was. What was once plain white now revealed a beautiful deep forested valley several miles across. Now we could not only hear them, but also see them in the far distance, using binoculars. We counted six! The following hour was spent strategically luring them into our direction using well-timed playback. Sometimes they flew in the opposite direction, and we had to start all over again. Once within the 50 metres range, we tried to be smart and strategically wait out fruit trees we figured might be popular. But the birds aren't that simple minded, it seems. They do as they please. We had a good exercise running up and down hills at length to find small gaps in the canopy giving somewhat of a view. Ultimately, we captured 3 individuals, one of which is easy to recognize by its busted bill. Another interesting detail captured that is not always obvious from most photos is that plate-billed is to be taken literally. The "plate" really looks like somebody hammered a piece of wood to the side of the bill. I'll be sharing shots generously, including some that are "light-challenged". Simply because they are awesome birds and its a species worth documenting. They are under pressure due to their tiny range being fragmented, another threat is the pet trade. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77510/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_first_sight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77511/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_feeding_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77512/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_cleaning_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77513/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77514/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77515/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_closeup_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77517/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77518/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_remote_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77519/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_2_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77520/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_rocket_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77521/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html Andigena laminirostris,Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Fall,Geotagged,La Planada Nature Reserve,Plate-billed mountain toucan,South America

Reproduction

The breeding season extends from March to October, peaking in May through August. The bird nests in tree cavities up to 30 meters above the ground. The clutch contains 2 or 3 white eggs. The eggs are incubated for about 16 days and the young fledge at 46 to 60 days. Once the young depart, the pair may rear a second brood.
Plate-billed mountain toucan - close perch frontal, La Planada Nature Reserve, Colombia Here it is, the treasure bird of La Planada Nature Reserve, the main reason for birders to visit, and thereby an important source of income. Within Colombia, The plate-billed mountain toucan is only found in the extreme south, in a tiny range of very wet cloud forests. On our last morning in La Planada Nature Reserve, we had our 3rd attempt of trying to find them. On the two days prior, we did hear them in the distance, but visibility was close to none. They are big, loud birds that move in pairs or even groups. So when in the right place, they aren't the hardest bird to discover. It is typical for them to attend the edge of a forest, moving to feed, and doing so loudly. Getting them in range, however, is harder, and was our main task ahead. As luck would have it, something magical happened. The "viewpoint" cleared up. We hadn't seen any sign of the sun in days, only thick white mist, but there it was. What was once plain white now revealed a beautiful deep forested valley several miles across. Now we could not only hear them, but also see them in the far distance, using binoculars. We counted six! The following hour was spent strategically luring them into our direction using well-timed playback. Sometimes they flew in the opposite direction, and we had to start all over again. Once within the 50 metres range, we tried to be smart and strategically wait out fruit trees we figured might be popular. But the birds aren't that simple minded, it seems. They do as they please. We had a good exercise running up and down hills at length to find small gaps in the canopy giving somewhat of a view. Ultimately, we captured 3 individuals, one of which is easy to recognize by its busted bill. Another interesting detail captured that is not always obvious from most photos is that plate-billed is to be taken literally. The "plate" really looks like somebody hammered a piece of wood to the side of the bill. I'll be sharing shots generously, including some that are "light-challenged". Simply because they are awesome birds and its a species worth documenting. They are under pressure due to their tiny range being fragmented, another threat is the pet trade. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77510/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_first_sight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77511/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_feeding_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77512/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_cleaning_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77513/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_frontal_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77514/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77515/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_closeup_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77516/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_pre-flight_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77517/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_close_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77518/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_remote_perch_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77519/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_canopy_2_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/77520/plate-billed_mountain_toucan_-_rocket_la_planada_nature_reserve_colombia.html Andigena laminirostris,Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Fall,Geotagged,La Planada Nature Reserve,Plate-billed mountain toucan,South America

Food

The plate-billed mountain toucan feeds mainly on fruit, and occasionally eats insects and eggs as well. It disperses the seeds of plants such as the mountain understory shrub ''Faramea affinis'' and the palm ''Prestoea acuminata''. There has been a report of the bird eating a caecilian

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderPiciformes
FamilyRamphastidae
GenusAndigena
SpeciesA. laminirostris
Photographed in
Colombia
Ecuador