This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.
As renowned naturalist Alexander Skutch once remarked: “Although the anis have much to recommend them to the attention of the naturalist, it is not by their beauty that they attract him.”
With its rumpled appearance and ungainly movements, the Groove-billed Ani might not be the most beautiful bird, but it is no doubt a fascinating species. Its highly-arched, grooved beak inspired its species name sulcirostris, a combination of the Latin words for “groove” and “beak.” Its genus name, Crotophaga, comes from Greek and Latin words for tick and eating, reflecting its insect-heavy diet, which is a bit misleading.
Groove-billed Anis are thought to eat a tick-heavy diet, primarily plucked from cattle, but it’s more likely they are frequently spotted around cattle for the same reason Cattle Egrets are: Cattle stir up the grasshoppers and other insects these birds love to eat. Still, their perceived penchant for ticks and other insects inspired another folk name, garrapater (literally “tick-eater”) in parts of Central America.
A member of the cuckoo family, the Groove-billed Ani is related to the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Greater Roadrunner.
Also known as: Tijo tijo (Costa Rica), Pichuy (Guatemala), Ch’ik bul (some Mayan dialects), Garrapatero Piquiestriado (Spanish)
Learn more about the Groove-billed Ani at https://abcbirds.org/bird/groove-billed-ani/
American Bird Conservancy stands up for birds across the Americas. We halt bird extinctions, conserve vital habitats, eliminate key threats, and build the capacity of our partners.
American Bird Conservancy
