Though colorful and rather large for an arboreal bird (measuring in at 16 inches, which is actually small for the toucan family) I almost missed these toucans as they were rather quiet and still. This amazing sight greeted me the other morning when I stepped outside. I dashed back into the house to grab my camera and was pleasantly rewarded.

The Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus) is a frugivore, which explains why all the papayas in my yard are disappearing! I watched these three fuss about the papayas for 15 minutes before they flew off into the forest, followed by another eight birds (which I had overlooked in the canopy)! Makes me wonder about all the other things I’m not seeing…