Head to head
Plate-billed Mountain Toucan vs Emerald Toucanet
The plate-billed mountain toucan and emerald toucanet both favour cool, high-elevation cloud forest, but their size, colouring, and conservation status set them apart.
| Plate-billed Mountain Toucan | Emerald Toucanet | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Andigena laminirostris | Aulacorhynchus prasinus |
| Signature feature | Ridged bill plate | Green camouflage |
| Relative size | Larger | One of the smaller toucans |
| Native range | Northern Andes (Colombia, Ecuador) | Central America, parts of South America |
| Body colour | Black, yellow, blue-grey | Almost entirely green |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Stable |
| Habitat | Mountains, forest | Mountains, forest |
Plate-billed Mountain Toucan vs Emerald Toucanet: common questions
Which species is more threatened, the plate-billed mountain toucan or the emerald toucanet?
The plate-billed mountain toucan is more threatened, classified as Near Threatened due to the clearance of Andean cloud forest, while the emerald toucanet remains classified as Least Concern across its broader Central and South American range.
How can you tell a plate-billed mountain toucan from an emerald toucanet?
The plate-billed mountain toucan has a distinctive ridged plate along the base of its bill and a larger, more colourful body, while the emerald toucanet is smaller with an almost entirely green body suited to camouflage.
Do both species live at high elevation?
Yes, both the plate-billed mountain toucan and emerald toucanet favour cool, high-elevation cloud forest over lowland rainforest, though the plate-billed mountain toucan is found at even higher elevations than most other toucans, including the emerald toucanet.