Pteroglossus inscriptus Swainson, 1822

Body Length

The lettered aracari (Pteroglossus inscriptus) is 33 to 35.5 cm (13 to 14 in) long.

Subspecies Weight

The nominate subspecies weighs approximately 100 to 130 g (3.5 to 4.6 oz), while subspecies P. i. humboldti weighs approximately 110 to 185 g (3.9 to 6.5 oz).

Sexual Dimorphism

For both subspecies, males are larger than females and have longer bills.

General Bill Trait

All individuals have a complex patterned bill.

Nominate Subspecies Bill Maxilla

The nominate subspecies has a mostly yellow maxilla, with a narrow black stripe along the culmen, a wide black tip, and a series of black "script" markings along its lower edge.

Nominate Subspecies Bill Mandible

Its mandible is pale yellow, with a wide black base and tip, plus a small number of black "script" markings near the tip.

P. i. humboldti Bill Trait

The maxilla of P. i. humboldti matches that of the nominate subspecies, but its mandible is almost entirely black.

Nominate Male Head Coloration

Nominate subspecies males have a black head, with the exception of bare blue, violet gray, and red skin around the eye.

Nominate Male Upperparts Coloration

Their upperparts, wings, and tail are dark green except for a crimson rump.

Nominate Male Underparts Coloration

Their breast, belly, and undertail coverts are yellow, with pale buff cinnamon blotches.

Nominate Male Tibial Feathers

Their tibial feathers range from green to half green and half pale yellow.

Nominate Female Head and Throat Coloration

Nominate subspecies females have chestnut coloring on their throat and the sides of their head and neck, with a narrow black band below the chestnut on the throat.

Immature Plumage

Immature lettered aracaris resemble paler versions of adult individuals.

P. i. humboldti Plumage

For both sexes of the subspecies P. i. humboldti, plumage is very similar to that of the nominate subspecies, except the tibial feathers are cinnamon or rufous.

Nominate Subspecies Main Distribution

The nominate subspecies of lettered aracari occurs in north central Brazil, south of the Amazon River between the Madeira and Maranhão rivers, and extends south from this area to northern Bolivia, the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, and the upper Tocantins River.

Nominate Subspecies Isolated Population

A small separate population of the nominate subspecies lives in the far eastern Brazilian states of Pernambuco and Alagoas.

P. i. humboldti Distribution

Subspecies P. i. humboldti occurs in southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northwestern Bolivia, and western Brazil.

P. i. humboldti Brazil Range

In western Brazil it is found near the Amazon as far as the Negro River, and extends a short distance south beyond the upper Madeira River.

Distribution Map Note

(Note that distribution maps only show the range of the nominate subspecies.)

Habitat Types

The lettered aracari species inhabits a range of lowland evergreen forest types in the upper Amazon basin.

Specific Forest Habitats

These forest types include várzea, terra firme, secondary forest, gallery forest, and forested islands.

Elevation Range

In terms of elevation, it generally ranges up to about 500 m (1,600 ft), but can be found locally as high as 900 m (3,000 ft).