Contribution about the diet and forraging behavior of the Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) in Iguazú National Park, Misiones, Argentina

Abstract

In Argentina, the Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) is distributed through the provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, Misiones, Corrientes, Formosa, Chaco and northern Santa Fe. It is mainly frugivorous, but it can also feed on eggs, bird chicks, small vertebrates and insects. Only seldom scientific articles have studied its diet in the wild. In this article, I report observations about diet realized at Iguazú National Park in Misiones, Argentina. During five years I registered the Toco Toucan feeding on eggs, fruits and insects. By using camera traps, I recorded the first evidence of a Toco Toucan eating a tarantula (Vitalius sp.). This work add to our knowledge on the species diet in Argentina and incorporates a new class of invertebrate (Aracnida) to the list.