Keel-billed Toucan vs Secretary Bird
Ramphastos sulfuratus compared with Sagittarius serpentarius
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Keel-billed Toucan | Secretary Bird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Sagittarius serpentarius |
| Order | Piciformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Ramphastidae | Sagittariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | 50.0 cm (19.7 in) | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 56.0 cm (22.0 in) | 210.0 cm (82.7 in) |
| Weight | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) | 3700.0 g (130.51 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily fruit, supplemented with insects, lizards, eggs, and nestlings. Uses its long bill to reach … | Snakes, lizards, small mammals, and large insects. Hunts on foot, stomping prey to death with … |
| 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.
Secretary Bird
Open grasslands, savannas, and light woodland across sub-Saharan Africa. Avoids dense forests and very arid regions.
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.
Secretary Bird
A surprisingly deep, resonant croaking 'kowrr-kowrr' often heard at dawn on African savannas. Also gives pig-like grunting sounds. Mostly silent compared to true songbirds.
Geographic Range & Migration
Keel-billed Toucan
Southern Mexico through Central America to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Secretary Bird
Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Somalia south to South Africa. Resident throughout its range.
Conservation Status
Keel-billed Toucan
Secretary Bird
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
Secretary Bird
Grey body plumage with black flight feathers and thigh feathers. Distinctive long black crest feathers trail from the back of the head. Orange-red bare facial skin.
Short, strong, hooked greyish bill with a yellowish cere
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.
Secretary Bird
The secretary bird is the only raptor that hunts primarily on foot, striding through grasslands on crane-like legs up to 1.2 meters tall. Its name may derive from the crest feathers resembling quill pens tucked behind a secretary's ear. The species is classified as Endangered due to habitat loss and decline across much of its range.