Birdsong field guide
Smooth-billed Ani
Crotophaga ani
A gregarious, tropical black cuckoo distinguished by its massive, high-arched bill and long, loosely-attached tail. It is noted for its highly social behavior and complex communal breeding systems.
What it sounds like
A rising, whistled 'ah-nee' or a distinctive, squeaky 'que-lick' given as a contact call.
Field notes
- They are communal nesters, with multiple females laying up to 30+ eggs in a single shared stick nest.
- Unlike many cuckoo species, the Smooth-billed Ani is not a brood parasite and cooperatively raises its own young.
- The distinctive bill features a smooth, knife-like ridge or culmen, which lacks the vertical grooves seen in the closely related Groove-billed Ani.
- Social groups often engage in allopreening, where individuals groom each other to reinforce group hierarchy and social bonds.
- Their flight is notably weak and laboured, typically consisting of a few quick flaps followed by a short, dipping glide.
Habitat
Brushy pastures, clearings, second-growth scrub, and agricultural lands with scattered trees.
Range
South Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America south to northern Argentina.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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