Birds
Plate-billed Mountain Toucan
Andigena laminirostris · also called plate-billed mountain toucans
Moving through the mist of Andean cloud forest at elevations most toucans never reach, a plate-billed mountain toucan carries a distinctive ridged plate along the base of its bill, a threatened specialist of one of South America’s most fragile high-altitude habitats.
Overview
The plate-billed mountain toucan, Andigena laminirostris, is a colourful, high-elevation toucan native to mountain and forest habitat across the northern Andes in Colombia and Ecuador. Its distinctive ridged bill plate, unusual preference for cool cloud forest over lowland rainforest, and ongoing vulnerability to habitat clearance make it one of the most conservation-significant members of the entire toucan family found anywhere in the Andes.
A toucan built for higher ground
While most toucans stay within warm lowland rainforest, the plate-billed mountain toucan has carved out a life in cooler, higher-elevation Andean cloud forest, a specialised niche that leaves it especially vulnerable as that habitat continues to shrink.
Status
Near Threatened, having declined due to the ongoing clearance of Andean cloud forest habitat across its restricted range.
Plate-billed Mountain Toucan: common questions
Why is the plate-billed mountain toucan named that?
This species has a distinctive ridged, plate-like structure along the base of its bill, a feature that directly gives the species its common name and sets it apart from other toucans.
Why does the plate-billed mountain toucan live at higher elevations?
This species has adapted to cool Andean cloud forest at elevations higher than most other toucans reach, a specialised habitat preference unusual within the wider toucan family.
Why is the plate-billed mountain toucan considered Near Threatened?
This species has declined due to the ongoing clearance of Andean cloud forest for agriculture, a pressure that has reduced its already limited high-elevation habitat across Colombia and Ecuador.
How can you identify a plate-billed mountain toucan?
This species has a colourful body combining black, yellow, and blue-grey tones, along with the distinctive ridged plate along the base of its bill that gives the species its name.