A medium black bird closely related to smooth-billed ani.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The groove-billed ani is a 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.
Source: Wikipedia — Groove-billed ani Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. All-black, loose-feathered bird with a long, floppy tail and a huge, high-arched bill bearing fine grooves (hard to see in the field).
Similar species. Smooth-billed Ani has a smooth, even-higher bill ridge; Common Grackle is glossier with a normal bill. Range overlaps little; voice helps.
Voice. A liquid, repeated 'tee-ho, tee-ho' rising on the first note.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Caterpillars (especially hairy species), insects, lizards.
Behavior. A social, tropical cuckoo-relative of southern Texas brushlands; several pairs may share a single communal nest and take turns incubating. Clambers awkwardly through shrubs.
§ Range
South Texas, Mexico
§ Habitat
Open habitats
§ Threats
Habitat loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the groove-billed ani is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support South Texas conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Groove-billed ani
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Crotophaga sulcirostris
- IUCN Red List — search for Crotophaga sulcirostris
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Crotophaga sulcirostris
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
