National Symbols – Government of Belize Press Office
Photo courtesy The Belize Zoo The Keel Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), known as the “bill bird” locally, is the national bird of Belize. The most obvious characteristic of the toucan is the huge yellow, orange, red, green and black canoe-shaped bill. The bird is about 20 inches in overall length. It is mostly black with bright yellow cheeks and chest, red under the tail and a distinctive white patch at the base of the tail. Toucans are one of the most iconic species of the Neotropics, as they only occur in this part of the world.The Keel-billed toucan is a very social bird and can often be seen in foraging an playing in pairs or small groups. They are found throughout Belize’s forests Photo courtesy The Belize Zoo The Tapir or “Mountain Cow” (Tapirus bairdii) is the largest land mammal of the American tropics. The tapir is a stoutly built animal with short legs, about the size of a donkey and weighs up to 600 pounds. Its general color is dusty brown with a white fringe around the eyes and lips, white tipped ears and occasional white patches of fur on the throat and chest.In spite of its local name, the tapir is not a cow. It is closely related to the horse and is also kin to the rhinoceros. The tapir is a vegetarian. It feeds on grasses, aquatic vegetation, leaves, buds, and fruits of the low-growing shrubs. They sometimes run afoul of man when they cause damage to corn f The Black Orchid (Encyclia Cochleatum) is the National Flower of Belize. This orchid grows on trees in damp areas, and flowers nearly all year round. Its clustered bulblike stems vary in size up to six inches long and carry two or three leaves.The black orchid flower has greenish-yellow petals and sepals with purple blotches near the base. The “lip” (one petal of special construction, which is the flower’s showiest) is shaped like a valve of a clam shell (hence the name Encyclia Cochleatum) and is deep purple-brown, almost black, with conspicuous radiating purple veins.Sources: National Library Service and Information System The shield of the Coat of Arms is divided into three sections by a vertical line and an inverted V. The base section represents a ship in full sail on waves of the sea. The two upper sections show tools of the timber industry in Belize: a paddle and a squaring axe in the right section and a sawSupporting the shield are two woodcutters, the one on the right holding a beating axe over his shoulder in his right hand, and the one on the left holding a paddle over his shoulder in his left hand.Above the shield rises a mahogany tree. Below the shield is the motto scroll. A wreath of leaves encircles the Coat of Arms. The motto says: “Sub Umbra Floreo”, meaning “Under the Shade I flourish.” The Coa
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Photo courtesy The Belize Zoo The Keel Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), known as the “bill bird” locally, is the national bird of Belize. The most obvious characteristic of the toucan is the huge yellow, orange, red, green and black canoe-shaped bill. The bird is about 20 inches in overall length. It is mostly black with bright yellow cheeks and chest, red under the tail and a distinctive white patch at the base of the tail. Toucans are one of the most iconic species of the Neotropics, as they only occur in this part of the world.The Keel-billed toucan is a very social bird and can often be seen in foraging an playing in pairs or small groups. They are found throughout Belize’s forests Photo courtesy The Belize Zoo The Tapir or “Mountain Cow” (Tapirus bairdii) is the largest land mammal of the American tropics. The tapir is a stoutly built animal with short legs, about the size of a donkey and weighs up to 600 pounds. Its general color is dusty brown with a white fringe around the eyes and lips, white tipped ears and occasional white patches of fur on the throat and chest.In spite of its local name, the tapir is not a cow. It is closely related to the horse and is also kin to the rhinoceros. The tapir is a vegetarian. It feeds on grasses, aquatic vegetation, leaves, buds, and fruits of the low-growing shrubs. They sometimes run afoul of man when they cause damage to corn f The Black Orchid (Encyclia Cochleatum) is the National Flower of Belize. This orchid grows on trees in damp areas, and flowers nearly all year round. Its clustered bulblike stems vary in size up to six inches long and carry two or three leaves.The black orchid flower has greenish-yellow petals and sepals with purple blotches near the base. The “lip” (one petal of special construction, which is the flower’s showiest) is shaped like a valve of a clam shell (hence the name Encyclia Cochleatum) and is deep purple-brown, almost black, with conspicuous radiating purple veins.Sources: National Library Service and Information System The shield of the Coat of Arms is divided into three sections by a vertical line and an inverted V. The base section represents a ship in full sail on waves of the sea. The two upper sections show tools of the timber industry in Belize: a paddle and a squaring axe in the right section and a sawSupporting the shield are two woodcutters, the one on the right holding a beating axe over his shoulder in his right hand, and the one on the left holding a paddle over his shoulder in his left hand.Above the shield rises a mahogany tree. Below the shield is the motto scroll. A wreath of leaves encircles the Coat of Arms. The motto says: “Sub Umbra Floreo”, meaning “Under the Shade I flourish.” The Coa
