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Groove-billed Ani

Crotophaga sulcirostris ORDER: CUCULIFORMES FAMILY: CUCULIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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Groove-billed Ani Photo

© Greg W.Lasley / CLO

An odd-looking black bird with a long tail and a large, curved beak, the Groove-billed Ani is a tropical species that reaches the United States only in pasturelands and open country of southern Texas. Its membership in the cuckoo family is revealed by its two-toes-foreward, two-toes-back foot arrangement.

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At a GlanceHelp

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length
13.4 in
34 cm
Weight
2.5–3.2 oz
70–90 g
Other Names
  • Ani à bec cannelé (French)
  • Garrapatero pijuy, Pico de cera, Pijúy, Piquiestriado, Tijo, Zopilotillo (Spanish)

Cool Facts

  • Like other anis, 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.

Habitat


Scrub

Open and partly open country, such as pastures, savanna, and orchards.

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Food


Insects

Insects and other arthropods.

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Nesting

Nest Placement

Tree
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Behavior


Ground Forager
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Conservation

status via IUCN

Least Concern

Common and widespread in the tropics. Less common in Texas, but population appears stable.

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Credits

  • Bowen, B. S. 2002. Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris ).In The Birds of North America, No. 612 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
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Range Map Help

Groove-billed Ani Range Map
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