NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus R. Lesson, 1830
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), also known as rainbow-billed toucan or sulphur-breasted toucan, is a species of toucan native to southern Mexico, Central America and the far northwest of South America, and is found in tropical forests. It is the national bird of Belize. It is an omnivorous forest bird that feeds on fruit, seeds, insects, invertebrates, lizards, snakes, and small birds and their eggs.
Wikipedia contributors, Keel-billed toucan; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:14:11.868686+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ramphastos sulfuratus R. Lesson, 1830
- Name authority
- R. Lesson, 1830
- Common name
- Keel-billed Toucan
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Ramphastidae
- Genus
- Ramphastos
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPiciformes
- familyRamphastidae
- genusRamphastos Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesRamphastos sulfuratus R. Lesson, 1830
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Ramphastos. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Toco ToucanRamphastos toco P. L. S. Müller, 1776 | RamphastidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-throated ToucanRamphastos tucanus Linnaeus, 1758 | RamphastidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Citron-throated ToucanRamphastos citreolaemus Gould, 1844 | RamphastidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-mandibled ToucanRamphastos ambiguus Swainson, 1823 | RamphastidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Choco ToucanRamphastos brevis Meyer de Schauensee, 1945 | RamphastidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
South America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=554307 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6WR6G. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.