Care guide
Toucan and Aracari Care Guide: Diet and Housing
Toucans and aracaris are tropical American birds with a huge, lightweight, hollow bill. They are spectacular, but poorly suited as household pets: they eat mostly fruit, need spacious aviaries and easily develop a disease caused by iron buildup.
At a glance
- Size
- 30–65 cm
- Lifespan
- 15–20 years in captivity
- Noise level
- Moderate to high
- Experience
- Advanced
- Space
- Large, long aviary
Approximate values: they vary by species and individual bird.
Low-iron diet
They are frugivores: the base is fresh chopped fruit (papaya, melon, apple, blueberries) along with a low-iron pellet made specifically for toucans or fruit-eating birds. They also eat insects and, occasionally, small prey.
Toucans readily store dietary iron in the liver (hemochromatosis), a serious and often fatal disease. That's why their pellets must be low in iron and citrus fruits and other foods very high in vitamin C, which increase iron absorption, are limited.
- Never feed dog or cat food or high-iron parrot food.
- No raisins and not too much dried fruit.
- Clean water every day.
Housing
Toucans don't climb like parrots: they get around by hopping and flying between perches. They need a long aviary with perches spaced at different heights and protection from the cold; as tropical birds, they suffer below about 10 °C.
Because of their fruit diet, droppings are plentiful and wet: the aviary must be easy to clean.
Health
Hemochromatosis may show no symptoms until the liver is badly damaged: a swollen abdomen, labored breathing and lethargy. An avian vet can monitor iron levels with regular blood tests. Toucans are also susceptible to bacterial infections from spoiled fruit.
Behavior
They are curious and playful, tossing and catching objects with their bill, but they can be aggressive toward smaller birds, which they even prey on in the wild. They should never share an aviary with smaller species.
Breeding
They nest in tree cavities or prepared logs and usually lay 2 to 4 eggs. Breeding in captivity is uncommon and is carried out mainly by zoos and specialist breeders.
Legal status
Several species, such as the toco toucan and the white-throated toucan, are listed in CITES Appendix II. In the countries where they live in the wild, capturing or keeping them without a permit is usually a wildlife crime. Always ask for captive-breeding documentation.
This guide is for information only and does not replace advice from an avian vet. Before getting a bird, check the law in your country and ask for CITES paperwork. This site does not sell or broker live animals.
Frequently asked questions
- What do toucans eat?
- A toucan eats mostly fresh fruit and a low-iron pellet made specifically for toucans, with insects as a supplement. Citrus should be limited in a toucan's diet because it increases iron absorption.
- Can you keep a toucan as a pet?
- A toucan is not a suitable household pet: it needs a large aviary, a special low-iron diet and a specialized avian vet. In many countries, keeping a toucan without a permit is illegal.
- What is hemochromatosis in toucans?
- Hemochromatosis is the buildup of iron in the liver, a common and serious disease in captive toucans. It is prevented by feeding toucans a low-iron diet and limiting citrus fruit.
- How long do toucans live?
- A toucan usually lives 15 to 20 years in captivity with a proper diet and a suitable aviary.
