Keel-billed Toucan vs Scarlet Macaw
Ramphastos sulfuratus compared with Ara macao
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Keel-billed Toucan | Scarlet Macaw |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Ara macao |
| Order | Piciformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Ramphastidae | Psittacidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 50.0 cm (19.7 in) | 85.0 cm (33.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 56.0 cm (22.0 in) | 110.0 cm (43.3 in) |
| Weight | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) | 1000.0 g (35.27 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily fruit, supplemented with insects, lizards, eggs, and nestlings. Uses its long bill to reach … | Fruits, nuts, seeds, and flowers from rainforest canopy trees. Visits clay licks to detoxify compounds … |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Keel-billed Toucan
Tropical and subtropical lowland rainforests and forest edges from sea level to about 1,900 meters.
Scarlet Macaw
Humid tropical lowland rainforests, gallery forests, and forest edges. Requires large mature trees with cavities for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Keel-billed Toucan
Produces a repeated frog-like croaking 'prrrek-prrrek' or 'terrio-terrio'. Not melodic; the call resembles a mechanical rattle or frog. Also gives bill-clattering.
Scarlet Macaw
Very loud, raucous squawking screams 'araak-araak'. Also gives chattering contact calls in pairs. Capable of mimicking human speech in captivity. Highly vocal throughout the day.
Geographic Range & Migration
Keel-billed Toucan
Southern Mexico through Central America to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Scarlet Macaw
Southern Mexico through Central America to Amazonian South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.
Conservation Status
Keel-billed Toucan
Scarlet Macaw
How to Tell Them Apart
Keel-billed Toucan
Black body with a bright yellow throat and chest. Red undertail coverts. The enormous bill is green with orange sides, a blue patch, and a red tip.
Enormous, lightweight, multicolored bill up to 15 cm long — green, orange, blue, and red
Scarlet Macaw
Brilliant scarlet red body with bright yellow wing coverts and blue flight feathers and tail. Large white bare facial patch around the eye.
Large, strongly curved bill — pale horn upper mandible, dark lower mandible
About These Birds
Keel-billed Toucan
The keel-billed toucan is the national bird of Belize and one of the most recognizable birds in the Neotropics. Its oversized bill, which can be a third of its body length, is actually very light due to its hollow honeycomb structure. Toucans roost communally, with up to six adults squeezing into a single tree cavity.
Scarlet Macaw
The scarlet macaw is one of the most iconic tropical birds with its dazzling tricolor plumage. These highly intelligent parrots form lifelong pair bonds and can live over 75 years in captivity. They play an important ecological role as seed dispersers in Neotropical rainforests.