Description: Small, colorful bird with large, brightly colored bill; 17 to 19 inches long

Habitat: Wet lowland forests, forest swamps, plantations

Diet: Fruit, insects, eggs, small vertebrates

Reproduction: Lays 2-5 eggs; nests in tree cavities

Did you know...

Collared Aracaris are social birds and commonly live in groups of about 5-15 birds. The group most often consists of a breeding pair and their offspring from previous seasons. The birds communicate with each other by making a variety of sounds, including rattles, purrs and squeaks. They will also sometimes use their bills to pound on the entrance to their nest, which makes a sound similar to a woodpecker’s drumming.

Groups of Collared Aracaris usually roost together each night in a tree cavity. However, while a pair of Collared Aracaris is breeding, they will not let other members of the group enter the nest. The two parents are the only birds that incubate the eggs, but once the eggs hatch, the whole group assists in caring for the new chicks.