The colorful, big-billed bird was first reported in the Miami area on March 17, with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden posting on its social channels that it had stopped there on March 20. It was spotted again a couple more times last month, with the last sighting reported by the Tropical Audubon Society (TAS) during its birdwatching excursion to Fairchild on Saturday, March 29. Speaking to New Times a few days later, TAS field trip coordinator Brian Rapoza reassured readers that a few days without a sighting did not necessarily mean the toucan was gone for good. "The bird has a lot of places to hide," he said at the time, adding getting familiar with its frog-like croak might make it easier for hopefuls to spot it.
That's just what psychology student and self-described "huge botanical gardens enthusiast" Vlady Vnukova did before heading to Fairchild Tuesday morning for a third attempt at spotting the toucan.
"I went to see it specifically," the Fairchild member told New Times. "Actually, I’ve made two previous unsuccessful attempts." Before venturing out, she decided to bone up on her bird sounds.
"I decided to research how toucans sound on YouTube," she says. "I went early...I intuitively knew early mornings are the best birdwatching time. After a while walking, I suddenly heard the unusual rattling sound, and I followed it. It brought me to the baobab [tree], and there he was, right on top."
Vnukova says she also spotted him on a ficus tree and near the Sunken Garden. "Baobab seems to be the favorite," she says.
Fairchild told New Times its arborist Nathaniel Cockshutt also saw the bird Tuesday morning. A spokesperson for the gardens said a few people had claimed the toucan was theirs on Instagram, but that the claims did not seem legit. No calls or formal claims have come in.
But some of Vnukova's observations supported Rapoza and Fairchild biologist Noah Frade's theory that the toucan is an escaped pet: "He doesn’t get intimidated by people or [lawnmowers]," she says. "We [think] he’s quite familiar with people."
