Have you seen an Aracari?
- Alex
- Nov 28, 2024
- 1 min read
The genus Pteroglossus was introduced in 1811 by the German zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. The name combines the Ancient Greek pteron meaning "feather" with glōssa meaning "tongue", [and torquatus from Latin torquis meaning "collar or neck chain".]
The name "Aracari" was used in 1648 by the German naturalist Georg Marcgrave for the black-necked aracari in his book Historia Naturalis Brasiliae. The name comes from the word Arassari, the name of the bird in the Tupi language
The collared aracari was described by the Spanish naturalist Francisco Hernández (1514-1587) in his work Rerum medicarum Novae Hispaniae thesaurus, seu, Plantarum animalium mineralium Mexicanorum historia which was published posthumously in 1651. In his Latin text Hernández used the name De Cochitenacatl, the word for the bird in the local Nahuatl language, [where Cochi/Xochi means "flower", ten = "bill", and acatl = "hollow reed". Tucans are called in Nahuatl "Tenacatl", and in Mayan Pam Ch'eel, all these relating to their colorful and hollow bill.]
These Aracaris were being pushed to leave by female Great-Tailed Grackles (which normally give alert of their presence as Aracaris and Toucans are known to eat besides insects and fruits, eggs and nestlings of other birds).
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In the first video, a single Collared Aracari jumping between the branches of a Metopioum Browneii. On the second video, a couple of Collared Aracaris eating the fruits of a Ficus tree before flying away.
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