The groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) 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.

Taxonomy

The groove-billed ani was formally described by the English naturalist William Swainson from a specimen collected in Temascaltepec, Mexico. It still bears its original binomial name of Crotophaga sulcirostris. The specific epithet combines the Latin meaning "furrow" with - meaning "-billed". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

References

  • Groove-billed Ani Images by Monte M. Taylor
  • Groove-billed Ani Picture at www.avesphoto.com