My name is Chrissann and I am “The Toucan Lady”. My boyfriend David and I are the primary caregivers for three adult Toco toucans, which we adopted in June 2011. We live on a little island in the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean and adventure is most definitely the best way to describe the years we have spent with our toucans thus far.

I had never owned a bird prior to the toucans, but had always been a lover of all animals from bunnies, to dogs, cats, lizards – you name it. My list of dream pets was always growing! However, until recently, birds were never on my radar – simply for the fact that I had never spent much time with any. Years ago, David used to breed and raise macaws. It was his stories of their intelligence and charming personalities that initially piqued my interest.

A couple of years ago, on our vacation in Columbia, I met my first toucan. Sitting in a beautiful restaurant’s tropical atrium, a Keel-Billed toucan named Clarita swooped down from the trees, landed on our table, and proceeded to steal the mint straight out of my mojito! I was hooked. It became a dream of mine to share my life with a toucan, albeit a fanciful one. I figured it would be unlikely that I would ever truly own a toucan – let alone so soon, let alone three! But fate stepped in and presented us with the opportunity to adopt our three toucans, who were already in our part of the world and in need of a new home – one we are beyond delighted to provide.

ABOUT THIS WEBSITE

I originally created this site as a personal blog to document and share our experiences as “toucan newbies”. In the beginning, there was so much to learn about these mysterious creatures, every day brought a new discovery. There was (and still continues to be) very little information to be found on proper toucan care online, or even in publication. Over the years, motivated by wanting to provide my own Three-Cans with the best life possible, I have passionately pieced together any credible information I have been able to find through a mix of connecting with zookeepers, veterinarians, breeders, fellow toucan owners, and my own firsthand experience.

This site is my attempt to help fill the void and provide an honest, unbiased account of what it’s really like to have toucans as pets and how to properly and ethically care for toucans in captivity. I say “unbiased” because I am not a breeder and do not have any vested interest in convincing anyone to own toucans. Unfortunately, I have seen toucan breeders all too frequently glaze over the realistic details of toucan ownership in an attempt to sell birds by making it seem much easier/simpler/cheaper than it actually is. This sets both the toucans and potential owners up for failure – a sad reality I have witnessed myself several times.

Please keep in mind that the information I provide here is simply the best knowledge that I have available to me at any given time. I don’t profess to be an all-knowing toucan wizard, I just want to provide the facts as I have them because I believe information should be free – especially when it comes to the well-being of animals. If you have experience with toucans and have any useful knowledge that you would like to add (or any corrections to information I have provided), please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Please feel free to post your questions and comments throughout this site. If you would like to contact me directly, you may at [email protected] .