Toucan and hornbill difference. In addition to the casque on some they have their first two neck vertebrae fused to support bills have long eyelashes and different kidneys. The bill of toco toucan is one third of the total length of the bird and hornbill beak is a quarter of the total length. However some hornbill species do not have the casque either.
The beak is similar to the toucans but bears a casque a horny outgrowth along the top. Toucans and hornbills. Hornbills also have physiological and behavioural differences to other birds.
The toco toucan ramphastos toco and the wreathed hornbill rhyticer os undulatus possess distinctively long and thick beaks. Some species have beaks that are longer than half the birds body. Hornbills show considerable variation in size.
The difference between a toucan a hornbill similar but different. The hornbills casque is usually a light honeycomb structure with plenty of air spaces. Bird beaks are made of keratin a fibrous protein in hair and nails on humans scales on reptiles and feathers on.
Both hornbills and toucans have evolved to fill the same ecological niche in different parts of the world and thus have developed the same characteristics for survival. The smallest species is the black dwarf hornbill tockus hartlaubi at 991 g 350 oz and 32 cm 1 ft 1 in in length. Comparatively the toucan has a more prominent beak than the hornbill.
The asian helmeted hornbill is an exception. Toucans and hornbills are beautiful fascinating creatures and throughout time they have both adapted similarly to survive in similar ecological niches despite the great geographical divide between them. Many hornbills have a disproportionately large casque on their horn shaped bill.
The beaks of toucans and hornbills are an example of what scientists call convergent evolution. If the birds beak is quite large but without the casque it is probably a toucan. Hornbills are larger about 2 to 5 feet 60cm to 15m long.
The largest and most massive species appears to be the southern ground hornbill which has an average weight of 377 kg 83 lb and can weigh up to 63 kg 14 lb and span about 180 cm 5 ft 11 in across the wings. The toucans bill is hollow crisscrossed by many thin bony supporting rods within and encased in a thin horny outer sheath. Slide to see difference.
Hornbills are are as unmistakeable as they are beautiful. As nouns the difference between toucan and hornbill is that toucan is any of various neotropical frugivorous birds from the family ramphastidae with a large colorful beak while hornbill is any of various birds of the family bucerotidae with bills resembling a cows horn many species have a casque above the bill and many imprison their young in a tree. Toucans reside in central and south america while hornbills are found only in africa and asia.