A native of the humid mountain forests, and open woodlands of places like Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru, the emerald toucanet is shy bird that is known for its large and brightly colored beak and pretty emerald green plumage. The beak is black and yellow, and the tail feathers have reddish-brown tips. Depending on the subspecies they can also have a blue, black, grey or white patch around the beak. Tail feather colors also vary with red, blue and yellow making appearances.

The emerald toucanet tends to live at altitudes between 6,000 and 10,00 feet (1,800 and 3,000 m), and can usually be found sitting inconspicuously among the trees, or flying around in a group foraging for food. Their food source varies by what they can find, and can be any of the following: insects, small reptiles, amphibians, the eggs of other birds, the hatchlings of other birds, and fruits and berries. During foraging, emerald toucanets are known to communicate with each other through a wide variety of vocal cues. When not foraging, they can be spotted from among the trees by it’s bright green plumage contrasting with its yellow and black beak.

At only 14 inches (35.5 cm) tall, the emerald toucanet must be careful to hide its eggs (it has little chance of truly protecting them from a predator), so it will usually nest inside of an old woodpecker hollow. They are so fond of these living quarters that they’ve been known to harass woodpeckers into giving up their homes. They are also a surprisingly group-oriented species at times, and will play “follow the leader” when traveling in a larger group of up to 10 birds. The birds are known to be affectionate pets that interact with people and learn quickly.