Paul Csaby, age 12, of Staten Island, N.Y., for his question:

WHY DOES THE TOUCAN HAVE SUCH A LARGE BILL?

About 40 different kinds of toucans can be found, and they are famous for their unusual looking, enormous bills. These flashy birds, which live in Central and South America, have bills that can be blue, brown, black, yellow, red, white, green or a combination of any of these colors. And the reason the toucan's bill is so huge and colorful is that it attracts mates.

Fortunately the toucan's bill isn't as heavy as it looks. It is actually filled with many air pockets and only weighs a small amount.

Toucans range in size from one variety that is 13 inches long to another 25 inches long. They all have bristly, narrow tongues and use their sawlike edge bills to tear apart fruit.