There are a few birds in the world that have brightly colored, rainbow-like beaks. The most well-known is likely the toucan, found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Toucans have large, colorful beaks that can appear rainbow-like with combinations of reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, and blacks. Other birds with rainbow beaks include hornbills found in Asia and Africa, motmots of the Americas, and some tanagers and coquette hummingbirds. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these incredible birds and their unique, vibrant beaks.
Toucans
Toucans are likely the first bird that comes to mind when thinking of a rainbow beak. There are over 40 different species of toucans, all located in the neotropics of Central and South America. They have one of the largest beak-to-body size ratios of any bird. Their beaks measure 4 to 10 inches long, almost the same length as their actual bodies!
Toucans use their massive, lightweight beaks to reach fruit on branches that are too fragile to support their weight. Their beaks are made of thin keratin (the same material as human fingernails) with hollow “struts” and thin plates that give them strength while minimizing weight. This helps them pluck fruit on the tips of branches.
So why such a large, conspicuous beak brightly colored in every shade of the rainbow? Researchers suggest several reasons:
| Theory | Description |
|---|---|
| Attract mates | The bright colors help attract potential mates, allowing toucans to find each other in the dense rainforest |
| Species recognition | The unique beak patterns may help toucans identify their own species |
| Temperature regulation | The beaks have blood vessels close to the surface that may help dissipate heat |
| Intimidation | The massive size and bright colors could intimidate potential predators |
The coloring comes from carotenoid pigments in their diet of fruit. Toucans actually have green beaks as they grow, slowly adding the rainbow colors as they consume more fruit. Their distinctive patterns and colors are unique to each individual, like a fingerprint. The most colorful beaks belong to toco toucans, with vibrant orange, red, yellow, blue, and black markings.
Hornbills
Hornbills are exotic birds found in tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. There are over 50 species, ranging greatly in size. They have a long, down-curved bill that is hollow inside and has a casque on top. The large bill accounts for about one-fourth of their total body length.
Some hornbill species have bright rainbow casques on top of their bill. The purpose isn’t definitively known, but the prevalent theory is that the color helps hornbills find each other from a distance in thick forests. The red or yellow splashes of color on an otherwise all-black bill are easy to spot.
For example, the rhinoceros hornbill of Southeast Asia has a bright orange or red casque. Females are attracted to males with the brightest casques. The casques become more colorful during breeding season. Researchers in Borneo found that painting the casques black made males less attractive to females.
Other hornbill species like the Jackson’s hornbill have a bluish-white casque. The crowned hornbill’s casque has yellow and red markings. Females lack the bright casques, instead having all-black beaks. The difference in coloration helps the male and female hornbills find each other.
Motmots
Motmots are near passerine birds found in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. They have unique tail feathers shaped like rackets with striking turquoise and blue hues. Motmots also have brightly colored facial patterns around their eyes and colorful beaks.
There are 10 species of motmots, and they display a wide variety of beak colors. Most have a black beak with various colorful markings near the base, including stripes of blue, green, red, orange, or yellow. Some species like the tody motmot have a primarily green beak, while the blue-throated motmot has a bright blue upper mandible.
The bright facial patterns and beak coloring are important in courtship displays and communication. The decorations seem to be used to attract mates and defend nesting territories. Their coloring becomes most vibrant during breeding seasons. Motmots lose their long tail feathers after mating and regrow them every year.
Tanagers
Tanagers comprise a large family of small passerine songbirds found in the tropics of North, South, and Central America. There are over 300 different species. Many tanagers are brightly colored with red, yellow, blue, black, and green plumage. Some species also have uniquely colored beaks that can appear rainbow-like.
For example, the crimson-collared tanager has a bright orange beak that fades to pale yellow at the tip. The orange-eared tanager and scarlet-and-white tanager have orange lower mandibles and black upper mandibles. The blue-necked, glistening-green, lacrimose, and spot-breasted tanagers all have strikingly blue-colored beaks.
The beaks likely play a role in courtship displays, territoriality, and species recognition. Their vibrance intensifies during breeding seasons. The coloring comes from pigments obtained through the tanagers’ fruit-filled diet in the tropical forests.
Coquette Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds in the genus Lophornis, known as coquettes, have incredibly colorful plumage and often brightly colored beaks as well. There are nine different coquette species in Central and South America. Many have feathers with a mix of greens, blues, and reds, along with colorful facial markings.
Several coquette species have bright orange, pink, red, or yellow-tipped beaks. For example, the frilled coquette has a red beak with a black tip. The red color extends onto its face. The spangled coquette has a bright yellow upper mandible that contrasts sharply with its black lower mandible. The green-crowned brilliant and amethyst-throated hummingbird also have blotches of color at the base of their otherwise all-black beaks.
As with the other rainbow-beaked birds, the coloration is likely used for species recognition, courtship, territorial displays, and attracting mates. Their diet of nectar and insects provides the pigments that give their beaks gorgeous pops of extra color.
Conclusion
While most birds have fairly mundane beak colors like brown, black, or grey, there are a number of incredible species that have rainbow-colored beaks. The bright hues come from carotenoids and other pigments in their fruit- and nectar-heavy diets. Toucans with their massive, vibrant bills are probably the most well known, but hornbills, motmots, tanagers, and coquette hummingbirds have splashes of rainbow on their beaks as well. The dazzling array of colors helps attract mates, identify species, regulate temperature, and intimidate predators. Next time you visit a zoo or are out birding in the neotropics, keep an eye out for these birds with their naturally colorful, paintbox beaks!
