The Day My Toucan Turned Into Cujo!

I will never forget the day when it happened.  I felt like a failure!  It was like getting a phone call from the Kindergarten teacher that your child bit another student!  

My mom had come over to relax, yup that didn’t happen!  We sat on the couch and Bella came over to play.  She was a little tentative that day approaching my mom, as she is with most things.  She usually approaches new things or people with caution.  

She started making her way up her leg, then stomach, and then chest.  Then out of nowhere, it happened…first a loud trill sound and then a peck in the chin.  Before I could even realize what had happened she then bit my mom on the cheek!!  I was so upset, and of course, felt bad for my mom.  My mom was so cool about it saying, “it’s ok, I just didn’t expect it!”   Well, that is an understatement!!  Me either! I couldn’t even look at my mom because she had a dent in her cheek from Bella’s beak!!  Bella had never bit me or my husband nor even attempted it!  So this was stunning.  She was just shy of 14 months when it happened.

I share this story not to scare anyone from getting a toucan but rather to let you know that this is the side of toucans that people don’t post or rarely share.  Yes, toucans bite!  They are an animal after all.  Any animal no matter how well trained has the capacity to bite.  

I had an Emerald Toucanet, Yoshi, who could also be aggressive.  Little did I know at the time that some of his aggression I encouraged.  We would often give him a play hut or tunnel for him to “play” with in his cage. 

Unfortunately, what I didn’t know then but know now is that I was encouraging nesting behavior.  This can lead to a toucan being territorial and aggressive when they don’t have a mate.  (I mean, you are kind of encouraging those hormones to rise and not giving them an opportunity to “follow through” if you know what I mean).  

So with our new toucan, we have been VERY cautious about encouraging this type of behavior.  We limit cuddling, although I’m not going to lie…I will take cuddles every now and then when offered!!  But, I try not to encourage it. We do not allow any play huts or hideaways in her house either.  She does sleep in a “bed” at night but I put it in her enclosure when it’s bedtime and take it out first thing in the morning.

Many other owners have experienced similar acts of aggression.  So where do we go from here?  Well after reaching out to my fellow toucan mom friends I realized I wasn’t alone!  (Although I already knew that, some part of me had to hear that it was ok, and they had experienced it too!)  So after my shock, I came up with a plan.  

First off, now that Bella demonstrated this behavior it is in her repertoire, so that means it could definitely happen again.  Next time we have visitors over, I will look more closely at body language.  

Toucans tend to get skinny and straighten out when they are frightened and sometimes they will do the opposite which is to lower themselves down and put their wings out kind of like a cape.  They may also fan out their tail when feeling threatened.

Also, listen to the noises.  The different species of toucans have different sounds so if you have one it is important to learn what sounds mean fear or a threat is near.  All of these things would indicate to me next time to move her to a place she feels safe and away from the guests.  

Next, I would do specific training.  Louann of ParrotsRUs suggested to me to do target training.  I love this idea!  Bella is already target trained so it would be a great way to work on an already mastered skill and build rapport with our guests.  Plus the guests would think it is like “doing a trick” or something.  

I would be sure to use her favorite treats, normally blueberries, grapes, or edible flowers.  I would give them to the guests and allow them to give them to her when she is in a safe place like her cage or on my arm.  This would pair a special treat with the guest and increase Bella’s tolerance to interacting with others.  

So there it is in a nutshell…even my sweet Bella who is the tamest of tame Toucans, the sweetest of sweet…bit. my. Mom!  

The truth is aggression in toucans is common but rarely talked about.  I mean who wants to post a video on Facebook or Instagram of their biting toucan!  

Toucans on social media are often seen as perfect, quirky, cuddly, and super fun!  While these are ALL traits that make up the personality of a toucan, I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say…toucans bite!  The good news is that although their beaks are huge, they are actually quite weak and therefore don’t do near the amount of damage that a parrot can!  But, don’t be fooled they can cause bruises or draw blood.  

So, if you are planning on getting a toucan just keep this in mind, learn how to avoid nesting behaviors, and TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN!  Expect the unexpected, as they are animals.  

For more information on how to train birds or toucans, you can visit The Animal Behavior Center and join the Parrot Project membership.  Here you can learn all types of training tips and how to train basic husbandry behaviors as well.  The owner, Lara Joseph, uses and teaches techniques to help shape behavior using principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).  

Since joining this membership program I have learned to train Bella to go on a scale to get her weight, go in her carrier for a vet visit, get used to her “travel cage” for when we go on vacation and visit my moms, accept liquids from a syringe, target train, recall, station when asked and many other skills!  

While learning these valuable skills, I’ve also learned valuable techniques to help with behavior problems that may creep up and know how to deal with them.  You can check out the work of Lara Joseph at the Animal Behavior Center every Sunday morning on Facebook live when she does a “Coffee with the Critters” episode.  This is how I first got to know Lara and I fell in love with her enthusiasm and shortly after signed up for the membership programs.

Toucans are my love!  They are amazing pets if you ask me.  Other people disagree and have debated whether or not they are good pets.  I would never trade having one for the world.  But, just keep in mind they may be perfect on Instagram, but they are animals.  Animals bite…no matter how cute they are! 

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