Why do toucans have large beaks

The toco's beak measures an additional 7. Researchers first thought the toucan's beak was only important for attracting mates, but new research indicates the construction of the beak enables the toucan to fly and to reach food and maintain body temperature. Bird beaks come in many shapes and sizes. Charles Darwin was among the first to think about the "why" of beak formation while looking at finches on the Galapagos islands. Darwin concluded, and further research supported, beak evolution was dependent upon the food sources birds encountered.

Accessing certain foods requires a specific type of beak. Cardinals have beaks for eating seed. Hummingbirds beaks collect nectar.

Toucan beaks reach fruit. Bird beaks are made of keratin, just like human hair and nails. Of the specific adaptions that set them apart, most notable is flight—although some mammals can fly, birds take the prize for abundance in the skies. Many birds have hollow, lightweight skeletons and specially-designed wings to help them stay aloft.

They also have feathers made of keratin that help them stay warm, attract mates, and improve navigation and aerodynamics in flight. In contrast to their dinosaur ancestors, they lack true teeth and have replaced them with specialized beaks and bills. The structure of the toucan beak teaches us principles of composite material design for light-weight strength and stiffness.

While the large strong beak is useful in foraging, defense and attracting mates, its low density is essential for the toucan to retain its ability to fly. The solid shell layer is built of overlapping, hexagonally-shaped thin plates of keratin protein held together by an organic glue. The internal closed-cell structural support is comprised of keratin fibers with greater mineralization, by calcium and other salts, than in either the membranes or the solid shell layers to increase hardness.

The closed cell structure offers a more complex energy absorption capacity and resistance to compression than the bending deformation typical of open celled structures. The rotational deformation of cell walls, stretching of membranes, and the internal gas pressure all contribute to those features. There is a synergistic effect of the shell layer and foam-like interior elements that together gives it greater strength than the sum of the strengths of those individual parts.

Material designs inspired by the structure of the toucan beak could offer the properties of low weight with high stiffness and strength, as well as good energy absorption capacity and insulation value, such as could be useful in developing crash resistance in vehicles without compromising fuel economy. The shape of the kingfisher beak allows it to dive into the water without splashing.

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