Overview

The Toucan Lodge: a view inside a single room

A lovely view of the park and garden. This lodge gives easy access to the reception area and is recommended for persons having difficulty climbing stairs or any other similar disability.

Features:

• Type: Single Room
• Occupancy: 2 Persons
• Bed: Queen Sized
• Amenities: Air Conditioning Unit, Mini Refrigerator, Television, Hot Shower, Telephone & Wardrobe
• Fully Self-Contained

The newly renovated Toucan Lodge

The name of this lodge is dedicated to the beautiful Toucan birds that dominate the area and are sweet to the heart and pleasant to the eyes. Their beauty is pure and rare and they are virtually unknown in other parts of the world. Toucans can be seen on a daily basis at Lake Mainstay Resort. At the front of the lodge has an artist’s painting which beautifully depicts a Toucan perched on a tree.

Brief history of the bird

Some of the Indigenous peoples of South America regard the bird with a sacred eye; they are traditionally seen as conduits between the worlds of the living and the spirits. The ancient Aztecs believe that the Toucan’s beak was created from rainbows. It was said to be the Toucan’s reward for being messengers of the gods. The Aztecs would perform rituals worshiping the Toucans, believing that because their beak was created from rainbows and the gods would grant them rain. The nine species found in Guyana are the Chestnut-tipped Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus derbianus), Green Aracari (Pteroglossus viridis), Black-necked Aracari (Pteroglossus aracari), Tawny-tufted Toucanet (Selenidera nattereri), Guianan Toucanet (Selenidera culik), Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus), the Red-billed Toucan (Ramphastos tucanus), Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) and the Black spotted Barbet {Capito Niger}. Their characteristic yelping call can be heard throughout Guyana’s rainforests, from the Atlantic Coast to the interior. The Toco Toucan, the largest and best-known toucan species, is found in semi-open savannahs; locations such as the forest near the village of Aranaputa and along the Rupununi River near Karanambu Ranch, plus areas along many rivers, are amongst the most reliable places to find the bird in Guyana.

The toucans are often spotted throughout the country sometimes throwing berries at each other, which are part of courting display, or jostling with their large bills. Toucans are arboreal and typically live in pairs or small flocks. It is rare to find a single bird roaming around for they travel and live in groups of six to twelve adults. Toucans are sociable, playful and one of the noisiest jungle birds, with a varied repertoire of harsh croaks, raspy yelps, mews, rattles, and other sounds. Some of the larger species sing a series of almost musical calls at dawn. Their calls to one another resemble a cross between a frog’s croak and a pig’s oink that can be heard as far as a half a mile away. They make a loud rattling, rat-tat- tat…, sounding similar to a woodpecker and such a racket of vocalization suggests that they are not trying to remain hidden. The birds do not migrate and nest in pre-existing tree holes. They are related to the woodpeckers, and inhabit holes in tree trunks in the same manner. A toucan’s annual clutch usually consists of two to four white glossy eggs, and the parents share the duties of caring for them which they leave not cushioned in their tree hollow. The bright colors on his bill may help to attract a mate or act as a deterrent to predators, but were it put to the test, it wouldn’t stand up very well as a weapon since their beaks are very light weight and lacks the crushing strength like that of the parrot.

As pets Toucans are wonderful companions for those who do not feel the need to own a talking bird. Toucans do not speak but they are loveable birds. They enjoy being touched and held closely and Toucan owners are constantly entertained by their silly stunts and active personalities. These colorful and magnificent birds that nature saw fit to bejewel the canopy of Guyana’s lush rainforest add supreme beauty and grandeur, representing some of the most precious and natural treasures that Guyana has to offer.