Black Billed Mountain Toucan

Copyright: monacoeye • San Isidro, Ecuador, Mar 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Billed Mountain Toucan
Latin: Andigena nigrirostris
Other: Tucán Andino Piquinegro (Es)
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans
Range: W Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, N Peru
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I was very pleased to see this beautiful Black-billed Mountain Toucan on the road from San Isidro to Tena. I had come very close to one at the Guacamayos Reserve a few days earlier, after following its call for an hour, but had been unable to see it properly because of the thick fog. Later with Phototoshop I revealed some colour, but at the time all I could see was white.

Prior to that, I had missed Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan at Guango, which others had seen just behind the lodge, so I was pleased to break a losing streak.

The Black-billed Mountain Toucan has a white throat and pale blue underparts.






Below: By bumping up the contrast in Photoshop I was able reveal a Black-billed Mountain Toucan - near invisible to the eye at the time because of the thick fog at Guacamayos.