Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan

*Top 50 Target Species

The Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan is a vibrant, fruit-eating bird endemic to the humid cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador, where it ranges between 1,600 and 2,600 meters, occasionally reaching up to 3,100 meters in Imbabura. Globally listed as Near Threatened, it faces ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation, though it remains locally common in protected areas like Mindo and the Mashpi Reserve. Recognized by its colorful plumage and distinctive yellow plate on the bill, it moves in small groups through moss-laden canopy, vocalizing with metallic wails and bill rattles. As one of the most iconic birds of the Chocó-Andean corridor, its presence signals the health of Ecuador’s montane forest ecosystems.