Choco Toucan

SCI Name:  Ramphastos brevis
Protonym:  Ramphastos ambiguus brevis Proc.Acad.Nat.Sci.Philadelphia 97 p.14
Taxonomy:  Piciformes / Ramphastidae / Ramphastos
Taxonomy Code:  chotou1
Type Locality:  Rio Mechengue, 2500 feet, Cauca, Colombia.
Author:  Meyer de Schauensee
Publish Year:  1945
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

RAMPHASTOS
(Ramphastidae; Ϯ Red-billed Toucan R. tucanus) Aldrovandus’ 1599, misspelling “Ramphastos” of Gessner’s 1560, “Ramphestes” (Gr. ῥαμφηστης rhamphēstēs  snouted  < ῥαμφη rhampē  bill) was subsequently adopted by Linnaeus (cf. “Linnaeus calls it Rhamphastos  ...  a broad sword, from the form of its bill” (Pennant 1773)). The huge colourful bills of the toucans appear cumbersome, but are in fact very light, strengthened by a network of bony fibres within the horny shell; "45. RAMPHASTOS.  Rostrum maximum, inane, convexum, extrorsum serratum.  Nares pone maxillas.  Lingua pennacea.  Pedum digiti antici posticique gemini." (Linnaeus 1758); "Ramphastos Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 103. Type, by subsequent designation Ramphastos erythrorhynchus Gmelin = Ramphastos tucanus Linné (Vigors, Zool. Journ., 2, 1826, p. 471.)" (Peters 1948, VI, 82). This is the sixth diagnosed genus in avian taxonomy. Linnaeus's Ramphastos comprised four species (R. piperivorus, R. Tucanus, R. picatus, R. Aracari). 
Var. Ramphastros, Rhamphastos, Rhamphastus, Ramphestes.
Synon. Bucco, Burhynchus, Dinorhamphus, Machlostomus, Ramphodryas, Tucaius, Tucanus.

brevis
L. brevis  short, slight.