South and Central America: Emerald Toucanet. Painting from 'Natural History of Birds of Paradise and Rollers, Toucans and Barbus' by Jacques Barraband (1767-1809), 1806. The emerald toucanet is a near-passerine bird from the toucan family, found from Mexico to northern Venezuela. The toucan is a colourful, gregarious forest bird found from Mexico to Argentina, known for its enormous and colorful bill. In Central and South America, the Toucan is associated with evil spirits, and can be the incarnation of a demon. But the Toucan can also be a tribal totem.