[4] Two subspecies are recognized:[5] Including its bill, the keel-billed toucan ranges in length from around 42 to 55 cm (17 to 22 in).

[7] While the bill seems large and cumbersome, it is in fact a spongy, hollow bone covered in keratin, a very light and hard protein.

Adding to the lack of space, the bottoms of the holes are often covered with pits from the fruit the toucans have eaten.

[8] The female keel-billed toucan will lay 1–4 white eggs in a natural or already-made tree cavity.

The diet of keel-billed toucans consists mostly of a wide range of fruit,[12] but may also include insects, eggs, nestlings and lizards.

The bill, surprisingly dexterous, allows this toucan to utilize a large variety of fruit that might not otherwise be reached.

The keel-billed toucan is sometimes kept in captivity, but it requires a high-fruit diet and is sensitive to hemochromatosis (an iron storage disease).

[13] This species is threatened by habitat loss, which has been accelerating in recent years, and by hunting and trapping for the pet trade.