Groove-billed Ani

Crotophaga sulcirostris

The Groove-billed Ani is an odd-looking tropical bird in the cuckoo family with a long tail and a large, curved beak. It is a resident species throughout most of its range, from southern Texas, central Mexico and The Bahamas, through Central America, to northern Colombia and Venezuela, and coastal Ecuador and Peru. It only retreats from the northern limits of its range in Texas and northern Mexico during winter.
BSP Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris,Geotagged,Groove-billed Ani,Summer,United States

Appearance

The Groove-billed Ani is about 34 cm long, and weighs 70–90 g. It is completely black, with a very long tail almost as long as its body. It has a huge bill with horizontal grooves along the length of the upper mandible. It is very similar to the Smooth-billed Ani, some of which have bills as small as the Groove-billed and with grooves on the basal half. The two species are best distinguished by voice and range. In flight, the ani alternates between quick, choppy flaps and short glides.
Groove-billed Ani, Costa Rica 2024-07-23 Groove-billed Ani sunning itself, Tempisque River, Costa Rica, July 23, 2024. Costa Rica,Crotophaga sulcirostris,Geotagged,Groove-billed Ani,Summer

Status

The Groove-billed Ani is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918....hieroglyph snipped...
Groove-billed Ani Usually a very secretive bird, this one was feeding and paying no attention to me. Crotophaga sulcirostris,Geotagged,Groove-billed Ani,Spring,United States

Habitat

Like other anis, the Groove-billed is found in open and partly open country, such as pastures, savanna, and orchards. It feeds largely on a mixed diet of insects, seeds, and fruits.
Raven without a neck? Small raven-like bird sits on a power chord in Costa Rica. Birds,Costa Rica,Crotophaga sulcirostris,Groove-billed Ani

Reproduction

The Groove-billed Ani lives in small groups of one to five breeding pairs. They defend a single territory and lay their eggs in one communal nest. All group members incubate the eggs and care for the young.

References:

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Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderCuculiformes
FamilyCuculidae
GenusCrotophaga
SpeciesC. sulcirostris
Photographed in
Costa Rica
United States of America