Kingdom Animalia Class Aves Family Ramphastidae | Phylum Chordata Order Piciformes Genus Aulacorhynchus | |
The white-throated toucanet (Aulacorhynchus albivitta) is a near-passerine bird found in the Andes from western Venezuela, through Colombia to northern Ecuador.
Contents
Taxonomy and systematics
The white-throated toucanet was originally described in the genus Pteroglossus. Although not accepted yet by all authorities, the white-throated toucanet was split from the emerald toucanet to form a separate species. The Santa Marta toucanet and the grey-throated toucanet were both formerly considered as a separate species (Aulacorhynchus lautus and Aulacorhynchus griseigularis respectively) until lumped as a subspecies of the white-throated toucanet in 2016. Alternate names for the white-throated toucanet include the Andean toucanet, Greyish-throated toucanet, North Andean toucanet and Northern Andean toucanet.
Subspecies
Four subspecies are recognized:
Description
Like other toucans, the white-throated toucanet is brightly marked and has a large bill. The adult is 30–35 cm (12–14 in) long and weight can range from 118–230 g (4.2–8.1 oz). The sexes are alike in appearance, although the female generally is smaller and slightly shorter-billed. It is, as other members of the genus Aulacorhynchus, mainly green. The vent and tail-tip are rufous. The bill is black with yellow to the upper mandible and a white band at the base of the bill. Some white-throated toucanets have a rufous patch near the base of the lower mandible. The throat of the Santa Marta toucanet is pale grey-blue and white or grey-blue in the other subspecies. The eye-ring is very dark, almost appearing blackish from a distance. The legs are dull greyish and the iris is dark.