Toucans (Ramphastidae)

Black-necked Araçari (Pteroglossus aracari) - HBW 7, p. 263

French: Araçari grigri German: Schwarzkehlarassari Spanish: Arasarí Cuellinegro

Taxonomy: Ramphastos Aracari Linnaeus, 1758, Brazil.
Forms a superspecies with P. castanotis. Both belong to the “P. torquatus group”, which also includes P. pluricinctus, P. torquatus and P. frantzii, all being closely related. Contrary to some views, probably not closely related to P. azara. Race atricollis has hybridized with P. pluricinctus in SE Venezuela (Carapo, R Paragua). Other described forms now considered unacceptable are roraimae (E Venezuela and the Guianas), synonymized with atricollis; amazonicus (NC & EC Brazil), now lumped into nominate; and <.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Ramphastos Aracari Linnaeus, 1758, Brazil.
Forms a superspecies with P. castanotis. Both belong to the “P. torquatus group”, which also includes P. pluricinctus, P. torquatus and P. frantzii, all being closely related. Contrary to some views, probably not closely related to P. azara. Race atricollis has hybridized with P. pluricinctus in SE Venezuela (Carapo, R Paragua). Other described forms now considered unacceptable are roraimae (E Venezuela and the Guianas), synonymized with atricollis; amazonicus (NC & EC Brazil), now lumped into nominate; and wiedii and formosus (S & E Brazil), synonymized with vergens. Three subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • atricollis (P. L. S. Müller, 1776) - E Venezuela and the Guianas, and N Brazil S to R Amazon (W to R Negro).
  • aracari (Linnaeus, 1758) - disjunct populations in NC, E & SE Brazil: S of Amazon, W to R Madeira, E to Maranhão and S to NE Mato Grosso and Goiás; E Pernambuco and E Alagoas; and also Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo.
  • vergens Griscom & Greenway, 1937 - S Goiás, S Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo S to E Paraná and E Santa Catarina.