ABSTRACT
The toucans are a New World family of medium to large birds restricted to tropical regions. Taxonomically, they are closely related to the barbets and may be sister family to the New World barbets. Toucans are familiar, if not instantly recognizable, by their oversized bills designed to reach fruits on outer branches. Toucans are characterized by powerful and zygodactylous feet. The molt strategy in toucans has not been studied in depth or previously reviewed to knowledge. Dickey and Van Rossem provide a detailed account of smaller toucans from El Salvador, and Van Tyne details the molt of Ramphastos sulphuratus brevicarinatus. Both authors report the preformative molt to be partial, but Dickey and Van Rossem indicate that rectrix and tertial replacement occurs later in at least some species, suggesting an interrupted or protracted incomplete first cycle preformative (FPF) molt, or more likely an early onset to a protracted second prebasic molt (SPB) as some adults (DPB) apparently show this molt.
