Toucanets

Some Advantages

• Can be very affectionate
• Playful and inquisitive
• Intelligent and highly trainable
• Aren’t destructive like parrots
• Quiet

Some Challenges

• No ability to speak
• Liquid droppings

Size
10 to 14 inches (including their beaks)

Weight
125 to 200 grams

Colors
A range of brilliant tropical colors, varying by species

Life Expectancy
Genetics and diet play a strong role in the lifespan of a bird. Toucanets in captivity have been known to live up to 30 years, though about 20 years is more common.

For someone who likes the look of a toucan, a toucanet can be a less expensive, less messy and more compact substitute. When hand-raised, toucanets can be very affectionate, letting you cuddle and pet them while they purr like a kitten. These hardy birds are playful, inquisitive, intelligent and highly trainable.

History and Origin:
Toucanets are found throughout the tropical and subtropical forests of South America, but they are now bred in captivity and are available as pets.

General Information:
These members of the toucan family are a unique alternative to the traditional pet parrot. There are 12 species of toucanet, but only a few are available as pets in the United States. The most common is the emerald toucanet, followed by the Guyana toucanet and the crimson-rumped toucanet.

Toucanets are affectionate and enjoy petting and interaction, so there is a time commitment required each day for some hands-on play. They enjoy hanging out with--and being perched on--their owners.

These birds do not climb and hang like parrots; instead, they hop. They will need plenty of horizontal space and multiple perches that allow them to travel about the cage. They are very active, so the cage length should be a minimum of 3 feet, though 4 feet is preferred, and the height and width should be at least 30 inches. Whether to place the cage inside or outside will depend on the climate in which you live and how tolerable of messes you are.

Toucanets are softbills, which means that they eat primarily soft foods, not that their beaks aren’t firm. Their diet leads to watery droppings, which often find their way outside of the cage. Some people will build outdoor walk-in aviaries where mess is less of a concern. The floor can be made of concrete and hosed down for cleaning, or it can be a planted aviary where food debris and droppings act as fertilizer. If you house your toucanet indoors, you’ll want to put the cage in a room with no carpeting on the floor and a washable wall surface.

Toucanets enjoy a rotating variety of brightly colored, shiny toys. Because these birds can’t climb, the toys should be accessible from a perch, with multiple “play stations” set up around the cage. Toys that are washable are especially recommended, and these birds like toys that can be grabbed and tossed around, like plastic balls with a bell inside. Because these birds can’t chew, they won’t need wooden toys to destroy like parrots do. Toys to avoid are ones that have parts small enough to swallow and any rings that would fit over their heads tightly where they could hang themselves.

Be creative with playtime and training. Toucanets can be trained to catch balls and put them through hoops, to come and go on command, and to go to the bathroom only in their cages.

Health:
In the wild, toucanets eat mostly fruit, with an occasional small lizard or large insect thrown into the mix for protein. In captivity, they don’t have to eat lizards or insects, but they do need some protein. There are several good commercial softbill bird pellets available that will provide the protein they need.

One of the major challenges that breeders and keepers of toucans have faced in the past is the tendency of these birds to develop iron storage disease (medically known as hemochromatosis). When too much iron is stored in the liver, it becomes toxic to the bird. It is extremely important that a diet very low in iron be provided. No red meat should be given, and the commercial pellet must be one with iron below 100 parts per million. Dog or cat food should not be offered, because they have iron added to them. These birds should not be fed any seeds, which they are unable to crack open or chew. Toucanets will toss their fruit and pellets into their water bowls, so remove, clean and refill their water dishes often.

The Ideal Owner:
The ideal toucanet owner is someone who is looking for a bird that is relatively quiet, and who doesn’t mind a bird that doesn’t speak. These birds may purr, hum, croak or make a low chattering sound. They’ve been described as quieter than a cockatiel and less grating to the ear than a cockatoo or macaw. You will need time to chop up fresh food daily (like papaya, apple, banana, melon, grapes and some mixed vegetables), and will need time to tidy the cage area each day so that the mess doesn’t become overwhelming.