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What to Consider When
Choosing a ToucanTips for navigating the path to companionship.
Buyers Guide
Bringing a toucan into your home is an exciting prospect! This guide will help you understand what to look for, what to watch out for, and how to make informed, ethical decisions when considering purchasing a toucan.
Pet vs. Breeding Bird
Pet Birds
If a pet quality bird is desired, a hand-reared youngster is the most suitable. Toucans are as trainable as a parrot and only your imagination will determine the limit of their capabilities. They are affectionate and enjoy contact with humans as much as many parrot species.
Breeding Birds
If breeding toucans is the desired goal, then parent-raised birds are preferable, since hand-reared birds may have become imprinted on humans, making them less successful breeders. However, it is possible to breed pet birds at a later date if parent-raised birds are unavailable.
Weaned vs. Unweaned
When is a toucan ready to leave the breeder?
Your baby will only be ready to go to its new home if it has been weaned. An unweaned bird is still reliant on being hand fed up to six times a day with a special formula developed for hand-rearing toucans. It is illegal to sell unweaned birds in California and in many places around the world for many reasons. It is unethical to do so, as well as dangerous to the bird. A weaned bird is classified as being able to eat sufficient food on its own to sustain its own body weight for at least two weeks. It takes a trained professional to hand rear toucans and new owners are in no way ready for this task.
The idea that ‘it won’t be tame unless you hand rear it yourself’ is a myth. Toucans do not need to have hand rearing completed by their new owner to stay tame, and do not bond with their owners based on seeing them as their ‘parents’. Choosing a young, weaned bird is sufficient to fully bond with your new companion.
"The idea that ‘it won’t be tame unless you hand rear it yourself’ is a myth."
Health complications with buying an unweaned bird
Incorrect feeding techniques can cause a range of short-term health issues for the toucan which include, but are not limited to: starvation, bloating, aspiration, dehydration, pneumonia, esophageal trauma (punctures, abrasions and bruises) and fungal infections. Several common challenges include:
- Toucans do not have a crop and it is therefore easy to aspirate (get food into the lungs of) a baby toucan when feeding if you are not a trained professional. It is also easy to overfill them or starve them for this same reason.
- Each toucan species requires a certain amount of food every day to grow and develop. If this carefully calculated amount is not met, then stunting and other health problems are more likely to occur.
- To the untrained eye, short-term health problems may escalate until it is too late. Infections, aspiration and injuries need urgent critical care by an avian veterinarian.
Weaning a toucan too early, or incorrectly, can cause a multitude of long-term health problems. Some of these include, but are not limited to: malnutrition, metabolic bone disease, splayed legs, immunodeficiency and death. Because every species is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all method for weaning, and a trained professional is needed to determine when it is safe to do so. To give your toucan the best start, and the best chance at a long and healthy life, it is imperative that they are raised and weaned by a trained professional.
Choosing a Breeding Facility
Finding a reputable breeder
A great place to start looking for a reputable breeder is to ask around! A well-established breeder will likely be widely-known and will have a good reputation. Once you have found a breeder you're interested in, be sure to do your research to ensure you are purchasing from an ethical breeder, and avoiding smuggled birds.
Visiting the facility
Once you have chosen a breeder, ask if you can visit their facility to see their operation. If they decline, it may be because they are a private facility and do not accept visits from the public. In this case, it should be acceptable to ask for photos and/or videos of the bird (or its parents) that you wish to purchase. When the time comes, you should be allowed to collect your bird in person, usually at the breeder’s facility, without issues. If a breeder only allows shipping, this could be a red flag. Breeders with high-quality operations are proud to show their birds and facilities either through photos, videos, or in person. Understandably, some breeders with rare species do not allow public visits but will usually do their best to accommodate you. Additionally, with the ongoing concern of avian influenza, many facilities will not allow visitors due to the threat it poses their flock.
Inquiring about the birds
Breeding flock: It is a good idea to ask the breeder how their birds are raised. Birds raised outdoors are less likely to have health issues, and generally have greater vitality than birds raised indoors. Outdoor birds are exposed to much-needed sunshine, fresh air, and even rain, all necessary for their physical and mental wellness. Indoor birds can often be exposed to airborne pathogens and other diseases, which become concentrated due to a lack of fresh air. No matter how indoor birds are maintained, they simply cannot be as healthy.
Babies: Always ask if the babies are close-banded. A band is a metal ring that goes on the bird's leg and includes important identifying information such as where the bird came from and what year it was hatched. Closed (unbroken) bands are a good indicator that a bird was hatched and raised in captivity, as they cannot be put on an adult bird's leg, and can only be applied to chicks. This helps to ensure that the breeder is being honest about where their birds come from, and you are not buying a smuggled bird.
Obtaining a Health Certificate
Some states, and many countries, require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, prior to importing your new bird. Check with the breeder to see if they are willing and able to provide this official document, if needed.
You may also wish to have your bird examined by a veterinarian prior to purchase, for your own peace of mind. This may be an extra out-of-pocket expense for you as a buyer, but the willingness of the breeder to do so is a telltale sign of confidence in the bird's overall health. If they refuse, then something may be awry, or they may not have a relationship with a vet. It is extremely important that breeding facilities have vets who give routine check-ups to the animals they are raising.
Checking the Price
Beware of cheap prices. Sometimes they're too good to be true, and the cheapest bird is not always the best choice. It can be expensive to care for toucans properly, and this is almost always reflected in the price.
Some internet advertisers offer prices so low, it should raise your suspicion. These "cheap" birds are often smuggled, stolen, or simply nonexistent. Internet scammers have become highly sophisticated, and it is important to be cautious. Ask to visit the facility and see the birds. Low prices combined with denial of visitation is a major red flag. Always do your research to ensure you are buying from a legitimate, reputable breeder to be sure you are not contributing to the illegal pet trade.
Purchase a Toucan From Us
Ready to dive in? Contact us to take the next step!
Toucans make wonderful companions, packed with personality and pizazz. We recommend you review the following information prior to purchasing a toucan, and contact us when you're ready.
- Read our Toucan Care information
- Check out the species we have in our Bird Collection
- View our FAQ page for answers to common questions
- Join our Mailing List to receive monthly updates on bird availability and pricing