Another successfull rearing of Toco toucans!

While our keepers celebrated the successful rearing of two chicks in 2025, this year the breeding pair is raising three offspring. The young birds have now left their nest box, and visitors can see the remarkable group of five Toco toucans in the Jaguar Trek exhibit.

Although Toco toucans are among the best-known South American birds and are relatively common in zoological collections, breeding them under human care remains highly challenging.

"Thirty-nine European institutions currently keep this species, yet only four zoos — including our — successfully reared chicks over the past year," explained local zoologist Václav Štraub. "Providing optimal nesting conditions is absolutely crucial and often represents the greatest challenge. The nest cavity must maintain the correct temperature and humidity, while the size and even the shape of the nest box play a vital role. Toucans are extremely sensitive to stress and disturbance. Any deviation from ideal conditions may result in the parents abandoning the nest, putting the chicks at serious risk."

Proper nutrition is another key factor.

"Toucans are primarily frugivorous birds. At the Zlín Zoo, their diet mainly consists of papaya, blueberries, mango, yellow melon, apples and pears. Their food must contain only very low levels of iron, as toucans are unable to metabolise excess iron efficiently. During the breeding season, we supplement their diet with animal protein, specifically crickets and locusts," added Štraub.

"The repeated successful breeding of Toco toucans demonstrates the outstanding expertise of the Zlín Zoo's animal care staff and confirms that our zoo ranks among Europe's leading zoological institutions," said Jiří Korec, mayor of the City of Zlín. "I am particularly pleased that the Zlín Zoo is achieving success not only with species that are popular with visitors, but also with animals whose reproduction under human care is exceptionally demanding. It is an excellent showcase for both the city of Zlín and the entire region."

The latest breeding success was the result of careful management throughout the nesting period.

"At the end of April, the female laid four eggs. To maximise the chances of successfully hatching all of them, we removed two eggs and placed them in an incubator at our breeding facilities. The first chick hatched in mid-May and was hand-fed with a specialised formula every three hours for one day before being returned to its parents. By that time, the breeding pair was already caring for another newly hatched chick. We then transferred the remaining egg from the nest box to the incubator, where a third chick hatched two days later. It was subsequently returned to the breeding pair as well. From that moment onward, all three chicks were raised entirely by their parents without any further intervention from our keepers. All three young toucans are healthy, thriving and developing very well," said Václav Štraub.

According to Štraub, one of the keys to this success may be the exceptional size of the toucan exhibit.

"The indoor aviary measures 9.5 metres wide, 15 metres long and 5.5 metres high. This allows the parents to spend time away from the nest box without causing stress to one another. To some extent, it recreates natural conditions, where one parent searches for food while the other broods the chicks or guards the nesting site," he explained.

The Toco toucan is the largest of more than 40 species of toucans. Despite appearances, toucans are the closest living relatives of woodpeckers. The species is native to Central and South America, particularly Brazil, northern Argentina and Paraguay.

Its most distinctive feature is its enormous yet remarkably lightweight bill, which can reach up to 20 centimetres in length and accounts for nearly half of the bird's total body length. Besides helping the bird gather food, the bill also plays an important role in thermoregulation and communication.

Toco toucans spend most of their lives high in the forest canopy, where they move primarily by making powerful hops from branch to branch. Without using their wings, they are capable of leaping distances of well over one metre.