don't call me betty

animalworld:

PLATE-BILLED MOUNTAIN TOUCAN - ©victoria.gandy
Andigena laminirostris
Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Ecuador.

Location: a species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It is found in humid forests growing on the west Andean slopes in north-western Ecuador and south-western Colombia.

Status: Near Threatened

Facts:
Mountain toucans are quite extraordinary in that they live at very high  elevations, approaching 9,000’ in Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. Today there are less than six known specimens in the U.S.

Toucans are frugivorous birds, whose primary diet is fruit. In the wild they consume fruits from as many as 100 species of plants and trees. They also consume a variety of insects for protein, especially during their nesting cycle.

—-

It took me awhile to both identify the bird species and to follow it back to the photographer. I love this shot and wanted to make certain we had a photo credit and a link to her site.

—-

Fact Source: http://www.nfss.org/Birds/Species/Softbill/Toucans/Plate-Bill.html

quickwitter: (via mandrak)