Why would anyone want a pet Collared aracari?

They’re cute. They’re cuddly. They’re everything a pet bird is supposed to be ... and less. They don’t bite so hard that someone ends up in the emergency room. They don’t scream so loud that neighbors call animal control. And instead of repeating words they shouldn’t, they “communicate” with a twittering purr for anyone playful enough to scratch their long beak or the back of their head.

Moreover, the Collared aracari, like all toucans, is a very clever bird. Here’s what that Prussian naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt said of his pet over two hundred years ago.

The toucan resembles the raven in manners and intelligence. It is a courageous animal, but easily tamed. Its long and stout beak serves to defend it at a distance. It makes itself master of the house, steals whatever it can come at, and loves to bathe often ...

David Foley • 407 721-6132 •