An odd-looking black bird, the Groove-billed Ani is a tropical species that reaches the United States usually 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.It is a slender, long-tailed black bird with a short, thick, rounded beak. The beak has parallel grooves running its length. The back feathers are scalloped with bronzy green edges. The tail is loose and longest in the center. The eyes and feet are black. The call is a sharp, high two-noted whistle.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. It eats insects and other arthropods.(Cornell Lab of Ornithology. All About Birds (Online)). |
