Scenic Sunday -Tucano

toucan - Mineiros Brazil! 

 This weeks scene is dedicated to that fruit loop of a bird.  You know the one I comb the tree tops and skies of Brazil in search of:  Yes...the toucan or in Portuguese the Tucano.  I am not sure if I fell in love with the bird prior to coming to Brazil but I find myself infatuated with the quirky black and white bird with its over sized orange bill.  On previous trips to Brazil I learned about this bird through friends and a little research on line and even saw one or two from a distance.  A true wild bird,  Toucans tend to keep their distance from human settlements and most of my personal experiences have been from quite a distance or as we drive along the countryside making it difficult to capture a photo with my little instant shot camera.  I was told by a friend that they tend to stay in groups so if you see one there are probably more.  They love a good 
mango tree when the fruit is ripe but unfortunately I have not been around when they have discovered these trees. However, on this most recent visit to Minerios, the palm seeds must be what is on their diet plan as on several occasions a small flock of toucans have been spotted flying through the blue skies around Minieros.  

More Toucans - Mineiros Brazil 

My first close encounter happened a good week ago as we were sitting on the patio and heard a grunting noise of sorts.   Luiz informed me that this was the call of the tucano and so I grabbed my camera and we left the gated yard to follow our ears in hopes of capturing a photo or two.  To my joy,  a flew blocks away a grunting toucan sat in wait in the lower fronds of a palm tree.  As I got closer he was surely posing for his close up,  or maybe just interested in the seeds of the tree.  This would be the first sighting of many in the days to follow.  These great flying oddities stayed around a few days to grace the vast blue above town.  I call them oddities because their little black and white bodies are trumped by the large orange beak.  This vast difference in their proportions make them easy to distinguish when in flight.  By no definition are toucans graceful,  but I could sit and watch them for hours.  In my observations I came to appreciate the creator of the movie "Rio" even more.  The character Rafael (a toucan)  truly is a work of art as he captures the quirky characteristics of this wonderful bird.  Dodging from branch to branch,  looking and observing what is going on around,  and not pausing for a minute as he searches for a morsel to eat.   I am entertained by the character Rafael even though I am not watching the movie and watching the real thing.  Toucans are such beautiful birds as they flutter from tree to tree and dodge from branch to branch.  Always looking down that long orange beak at what may be peeking back at them.   I hope you enjoy as much as I have!