| It is probably bad form for a birder to admit to having a favorite bird; one's favorite, after all should be the one you are looking at right now. And how to pick a favorite? There are many species possessing admirable qualities, whether it be great beauty, or unique form and structure, or unusual behavior, or remarkable song quality, or even remoteness of habitat. That having been said, I believe that my favorite bird is the Collared Aracari of the neotropics. I recall being somewhat awestruck the first time I saw this cartoonishly-colored bird from the viewing platform atop Panama's Canopy Tower. Truly, the shapes and colors found in nature are more remarkable than anything the human imagination might conjure. Below is pictured one of the first Collared Aracaris I ever saw, in August of 2003. |
| In addition to their striking plumage, Collared Aracaris engage in some rather unique behavior. I was relaxing in the common dining area of the Canopy Tower one afternoon in September 2004, when I looked out the window to see three aracaris engaged in the bill-to-bill combat. I observed this activity with another Tower guest, and on my video e can be heard saying in the background, "I hope you're getting this!". In further research on the subject, I have only found one reference to this behavior, in an article in The Condor by the late, great naturalist Alexander Skutch, who mentions bill combat without speculating as to its purpose. I can only guess that this is perhaps some sort of territorial activity- perhaps these are young birds wrestling to establish dominance. Whatever its purpose, this aracari scrum was a sight to behold! |
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| As is usually the case in nature when one sees a superficially unwieldy encumbrance such as a toucan's bill, the feature in question confers some sort of evolutionary advantage. In the case of the large-bodied toucans and aracaris, and their equally massive bills, the bill enables them to reach food that would otherwise be inaccessible to a bird their size. On several occasions I have filmed Collared Aracaris reaching out with their long, lightweight bills to grasp the fruit of the cecropia tree; they pluck the fruit, flip it around so that it is oriented properly with their bill, and then toss their heads back to swallow the fruit whole. |
| I've studied much of the available literature regarding Collared Aracaris, and have found no indication that this species can be aged or sexed in the field. As we observed a small group of aracaris from the Canopy Tower in July of 2005, Mike Manetz made the astute observation that a couple of the birds present did not possess the jagged, tooth-like marks on the upper mandible that are characteristic of the species. I captured some film of the birds in question, who were engaged in bill-nuzzling activity that I can only describe as affectionate. Take a close look at the birds pictured below; neither shows much in the way of bill marking, although more footage reveals that the bird on the left has a few "tooth" marks. Both show a very bright red orbital ring, the one on the left especially showing more of this feature than other Collared Aracaris I have filmed. I can only speculate as to what these clues might indicate; the pair might be comprised of a parent and progeny, or two juvenille siblings, or the unusual plumage might be within the species' normal variation, or the result of some sort of seasonal molt. I would love the opportunity to study museum skins, as I have the sneaking suspicion that ageing Collared Aracaris in the field might in fact be possible. |
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