A Bird With A Big Air-Conditioning Bill

That's the title of an article in the latest edition of Science magazine. It's a fascinating look at how the toucan uses its bill as an organ to dispose of excess body heat.

Toucan (Ramphastos toco) (image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

Here's a brief extract:

When it comes to keeping cool, toucans get top billing in the animal world. New research shows that the colorful bird uses its massive beak to rapidly radiate away heat, allowing it to chill out in tropical climates or when expending a lot of energy while flying. At its most efficient, the toucan is theoretically capable of jettisoning 100% of its overall body heat loss through its bill.

It's fascinating to think that what I'd always considered an over-large eating utensil is so much more than that! The whole article is very interesting for nature-lovers. It includes an infra-red photograph showing the heat radiating from the beak.

Peter