[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 17 in.]

This Groove-billed Ani was photographed at the Valley Land Fund's Sheepshead Lots, South Padre Island, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC17E II 1.7x Teleconverter on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: September 30, 2016)

[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, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: January 1991)

[Length 16.5 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This Lesser Coucal was photographed at a roadside field, Dongtai, Jiangsu, China. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon 1 V3 camera. (Date: May 10, 2017)

[Length 16.5 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This Lesser Coucal was photographed at a roadside field, Dongtai, Jiangsu, China. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: May 11, 2017)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 17.5 in.]

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

[Length 12.5 in. Wingspan 23.75 in.]

This Eurasian Cuckoo was photographed at the Nanhui Refuge, Nanhui (Shanghai), Shanghai, China. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC17E II 1.7x Teleconverter on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: May 06, 2017)

[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 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)