Spotted Aracari

Spotted Aracari

We are delighted that Anastasia Bathrellou has taken on the sponsorship of the Fleckenarassari. Thank you very much!

The spotted macaw(Selenidera maculirostris) is a small member of the toucan family (Ramphastidae) with a body size of 33 - 37 cm. It is found in the south-east of Brazil along the coast, in the east of Paraguay and in the north-east of Argentina.

In contrast to most other toucan species, the Spotted Toucan has a pronounced sexual dimorphism, i.e. the male and female look very different. In males, the head, neck and the entire underside of the body are glossy black. The upper side of the body and the tail are olive green in colour. There is also a narrow golden-yellow band extending from the eye region to the nape of the neck. Compared to many other toucan species, the beak of the spotted aracari is quite small. It has a black and white pattern overall and is coloured golden yellow at the tip. The beak of the female is even slightly shorter than that of the male. Instead of black, the female's head and the side of its body are coloured reddish brown and the yellow nuchal band is not as strikingly yellow as that of the male.

The habitat of the spotted aracari is subtropical, humid primary forests at an altitude of up to 1200 metres above sea level. However, it can also be found in open forests or palm plantations. It feeds mainly on various fruits, but also supplements its diet with insects and small vertebrates. It finds these mainly in the undergrowth and in the middle storeys of trees.

The breeding season of the spotted aracari is between December and June in the north and between October and January in the south of its range. The nest is usually an old abandoned woodpecker cavity. The female lays 2 or 3 eggs in it, which are incubated for around 15 days. The newly hatched young take a relatively long time, around 6 to 7 weeks, to fledge. During this time, the male is responsible for foraging. The male spends the night together with the female and the young in the nesting cavity.

The population of the spotted narassari is currently not endangered, as it has a relatively large distribution area and fortunately occurs in many nature reserves in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Outside of these, however, its numbers are steadily declining due to deforestation.