[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 17 in.]

The Groove-billed Ani is a tropical relative of the Cuckoo family which looks remarkably like a Great-tailed Grackle at first glance. Named for the prominent ridges on its stout bill, the Groove-billed Ani occurs in North America primarily in eastern Mexico and coastal western Mexico. It is also common along the Rio Grande and surrounding areas in Texas, and less common up the Gulf coast of Texas. In winter most of the Texas birds withdraw to Mexico, but they can always be found in the lower Rio Grande Valley, with a few lingering along the Gulf coast. This Groove-billed Ani was photographed near Santa Maria in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film. (Date: April 2001)

[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 17 in.]

This Groove-billed Ani was photographed at the NABA Butterfly Park, Mission, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 70-200mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=420mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 8, 2006)

[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 17 in.]

This Groove-billed Ani was photographed at the NABA Butterfly Park, Mission, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 70-200mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=375mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 8, 2006)

[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 17 in.]

This Groove-billed Ani was photographed at the NABA Butterfly Park, Mission, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 70-200mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=375mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 8, 2006)

[Length 14.5 in. Wingspan 18.5 in.]

The Smooth-billed Ani is a tropical relative of the Cuckoo family which looks remarkably like a Boat-tailed Grackle at first glance. Named for the lack of prominent ridges on its stout bill (see Groove-billed Ani), the Smooth-billed Ani occurs in North America only in southern Florida and Caribbean Islands. The birds are declining throughout their Florida range. One theory for this is that the birds were originally "blown" onto the mainland by a hurricane and managed to survive in marginal habitat. The severe loss of habitat and water shortages which have occurred in southern Florida in the last 30 to 40 years were enough to degrade the marginal habitat, leading to a gradual decline in the Florida population. This Smooth-billed Ani was photographed in the brush next to a motel parking lot in Homestead, Florida. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: January 1991)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 17.5 in.]

This Black-billed Cuckoo was photographed in northern New Jersey near a nest site. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: June 1978)

[Length 13 in. Wingspan 23.75 in.]

This Common Cuckoo was photographed at Quendale, Mainland, Shetland, Scotland, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: June 2, 2004)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 17 in.]

This Mangrove Cuckoo was photographed on Sugarloaf Key in the Florida Keys. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film pushed to 800. (Date: June 1983)