# Fiery-billed Aracari (*Pteroglossus frantzii*)

The Fiery-billed Aracari is a colorful bird with a bright orange bill and a cheerful song. They love to eat fruits and can often be seen hopping around in trees, making them fun to watch!

- **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Fiery-billed Aracari](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pteroglossus_frantzii.JPG&width=800)

Photo: CRaPuLe (Alison Le Garec), CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pteroglossus_frantzii.JPG)

## Appearance

The Fiery-billed Aracari is a striking bird with a black head and upperparts, a bright yellow belly, and a bold red band across its chest. Its most distinctive feature is a large, colorful bill blending yellow, orange, and red with a black tip, complemented by a patch of blue skin around its eyes.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Piciformes
- **Family:** Ramphastidae
- **Genus:** Pteroglossus

## Interesting facts

- Aracaris often share food with each other, tossing fruits to friends!
- Their giant bill is surprisingly light because it's mostly hollow!
- These birds sleep curled up, tucking their long bill under their wing!
- They use old woodpecker holes high in trees for their cozy nests!

## Special abilities

- **Giant Rainbow Beak:** Fiery-billed Aracaris have an enormous, colorful bill that helps them reach fruit on slender branches and regulate body temperature.
- **Acrobatic Climber:** Fiery-billed Aracaris can navigate dense jungle foliage with strong feet, helping them find hidden fruits and insects.
- **Jungle Communicator:** Fiery-billed Aracaris use a variety of loud calls and chirps to communicate with their flock, helping them stay together.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 43-45 cm
- **Wingspan:** 55-65 cm
- **Weight:** 0.22-0.28 kg
- **Lifespan:** 15-20 years
- **Clutch Size:** 2-4
- **Incubation:** 16-17 days

## Diet & Feeding

A fruit-loving bird that also enjoys insects and occasionally raids other birds' nests.

- **Primary Foods:** Fruits (figs, berries), Insects (beetles, grasshoppers), Spiders, Eggs (of other birds)
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** Matapalo Fig (*Ficus insipida*) — Relies on these tropical fruits for food.
- **Eats:** Surinam Cherry (*Eugenia uniflora*) — Feasts on the sweet berries of this plant.
- **Eaten by:** White-faced Capuchin (*Cebus capucinus*) — Monkeys sometimes raid nests for eggs.

## Traits

- [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

- [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Fiery-billed Aracari?

Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Fiery-billed Aracari?

43-45 cm

### What is Fiery-billed Aracari's wingspan?

55-65 cm

### How much does Fiery-billed Aracari weigh?

0.22-0.28 kg

### How long does Fiery-billed Aracari live?

15-20 years

### What does Fiery-billed Aracari eat?

A fruit-loving bird that also enjoys insects and occasionally raids other birds' nests.

### Where is Fiery-billed Aracari usually found?

Forests

### How does Fiery-billed Aracari hunt?

Foraging

## More Birds

- [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*)
- [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*)
- [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*)
- [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*)

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Source: [Fiery-billed Aracari: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fiery-billed-aracari)