Bird Guide

Curl-crested Aracari vs Green Aracari

Curl-crested Aracari (Pteroglossus beauharnaisii)

Curl-crested Aracari

Pteroglossus beauharnaisii

Medium216 gForest

The curl-crested aracari is 42 to 46 cm (17 to 18 in) long and weighs 164 to 280 g (5.8 to 9.9 oz). It gains its English name from unique curly, shiny, black feathers on the top of its head and nape; they resemble pieces of plastic or enamel. Males and females are alike except that the female has a shorter bill. Their bill has a brown-orange line at its base. The mandible is ivory becoming orangey at its tip. The maxilla has an orangey culmen and a maroon stripe along its lower part that is wider at the base. Between them the maxilla is green or bluish. Voice: The curl-crested aracari's calls include series of "deep 'rrek' notes, soft 'rrr' to hard, even grunting 'grenk' notes". It also makes a "softer 'et-et'" when settling into a roost. Another author adds a "low, raucous 'cha-cha-cha cha wruh cha--'."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Lonnie Huffman · CC BY 3.0
Green Aracari (Pteroglossus viridis)

Green Aracari

Pteroglossus viridis

Medium135 gForest

Males' crowns are black, while females' are reddish brown.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jean-Paul Boerekamps · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Curl-crested Aracari and Green Aracari.