John Gauper, age 12, of Coleraine, Minnesota, for his question:

What is a toucan bird?

You might mistake him for a sassy crow, disguised with a banana sized bill. Actually he belongs to his own toucan family and shares his tropical American jungles with a variety of noisy, gaudy cousins. The fantastic toucan bill is real and not a disguise. It is almost as big as his body and you might expect its weight to tip him forward. However, it is made of very light material.

The toco toucan of Brazil is a black bird with a white bib and a vivid red patch under his tail feathers. Because of his banana type bill, he must turn his head and stare at you with one beady bright eye. It is set in a blue circle which is set in an orange circle. The emerald toucan wears emerald green plumage set off with a red and black tail. Other species wear gaudier colors. All of them have banana type beaks with sharp, hooked tips suitable for gathering the fruits on which they feed.