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Yellow knobbed curassow
Yellow-knobbed curassows (Crax daubentoni)
are also known as Daubenton’s curassow. They produce
a prolonged, high-pitched whistle. The bird is known
for its crest which has feathers curled at the tip towards
the beak. The bill knob and wattles are bright yellow.
Yellow-knobbed prefer dry tropical woodlands and congregate
around water courses and water holes during the dry
season. Like most curassows, they are hunted for food.
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Scarlet ibis
The Scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber),
like all ibises, has a long, downward-curved bill. It
is useful when feeding, as it probes through mud for
snails, worms, crawfish and small crustaceans. Like
flamingos, shrimp are necessary in their diet in order
to retain their color. These migratory birds live in
large groups. When not foraging food, they roost high
in the trees of the rainforest.
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Curl-crested jay
Curl-crested jays (Cyanocorax cristatellus)
are one of several species of jays displayed at The
Dallas World Aquarium. Green jays (Cyanocorax yncas
glaucescens), Plush-crested jays (Cyanocorax
chrysops) and San blas jays (Cissilopha sanblasiana)
can be seen flying and roosting throughout the rainforest.
Jay are of the Passeriforme order, the largest order
of birds. They eat both plants and animals (omnivores).
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Crested oropendola
Oropendulas are large birds, about the same
size as crows. They build long, hanging, basket-like
nests. Their nest tree is often out in the open and
contains numerous pendulous nests. The “openness” of
the nest
tree gives some protection against predatory primates,
who prefer to remain in the canopy and not cross open
ground. There are two colors of oropendulas: The Crested
oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus) is predominantly
black and the Green oropendola (Psarocolius viridis)
is mainly green. Both have yellow/orange beaks and tails.
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Sunbittern
The heron-shaped Sunbittern (Eurypyga
helias) hunts for fish, amphibians, crustaceans
and insects near water in forests, woodlands and swampy
places. Sunbitterns have a long stout body, long slim
neck and a rather small head. Most of the feathers are
barred with gray, brown, black and white. When spreading
its wings, bright chestnut, black, yellow and white
plumage can be seen. It is the only species of the family
Eurypygidae.
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Collared aracari
The medium-sized Ramphastids are known as
aracaris. They are approximately 15-16 inches (38-40
cm) in length. They are often dark with bands on their
breast, highlighted with bright yellow or orange-red.
Their tails are more pointed than the tails of the larger
toucans. The head and neck of the Collared aracari (Pteroglossus
torquatus) are black with a reddish-brown collar
at the nape of the neck. The Collared aracari is an
active social bird that can be commonly seen in its
natural habitat.
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Keel-billed toucan
The Keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)
is one of the largest and most colorful of all toucans.
The large beak, with its many colors, makes the Keel-billed
easy to identify. The throat and breast are yellow,
with a red breast band. The eyes are turquoise blue
with pale green facial skin. The call of the Keel-billed
toucan sounds like the “treep, treep, treep” of a tree
frog.
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Swainson's toucan
Swainson’s toucans (Ramphastos ambiguus
swainsonii) are also known as Chestnut-mandible
toucans. They are the second largest of the Ramphastids,
Males grow to be 22-24 inches (55-60 cm) and females
reach 20-21 inches (50-53 cm). The beak can reach up
to 6-8 inches (15-20 cm). Bright yellow adorns the “bib”
on the throat and chest. The base of the bill is reddish-brown
with a dark yellow upper mandible. The bare skin around
the eyes varies from green to blue.
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Red-billed toucan
Red-billed toucans (Ramphastos tucanus)
are large birds that are approximately 22 inches (56
cm) tall. A black body is highlighted with a white throat and a
large bill trimmed with black, dark red, blue and yellow.
Like other Ramphastids, their main foods are seeds and fruits.
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