Albert Barofsky, age 12, of Haggerstown, Md., for his question:

WHERE DOES THE TOUCAN LIVE WILD?

The toucan is an unusual looking bird with an enormous and brilliantly colored bill. Toucans live wild in the tropical and subtropical forests of Central and South America.

A toucan's bill may be black, blue, brown, green, red, white, yellow or a combination of colors. Toucans probably use their colorful bills to attract their mates.

Although the toucan's huge bill looks heavy, it actually weight little because it contains many air pockets.

There are about 40 different kinds of toucans. The largest, the toco tucan, measures about 25 inches long. The smallest, called aracaris, grows to be 13 inches long.

Toucans have a bristly, narrow tongue that resembles a feather. They feed mainly on various small fruits. Sometimes they use their bills, which have sawlike edges, to tear off pieces of larger fruits as well.

Most toucans live in small flocks that sleep in hollow trees. Most mate once a year and build nests in hollow trees. The female lays from two to four eggs. The parents take turns sitting on the eggs and also share the job of caring for the young after they hatch in 15 days.