Groove-billed Ani (us-RGV)
From WikiBird
Contents |
Regional Information
Range, Abundance, and Seasonal Variations
More common in summer and in the Lower Rio Grande Valley below Laredo. Good places to find them include Santa Ana, Bentsen, and Sabel Palm Grove. In winter, more often found at Sabal Palm Grove and along the Rio Grande.
Directions and Maps
See the Rio Grande Valley hotspots for directions to these areas.
General Information
Size
Length: 34cm (13in), Wingspan: ??cm (??in), Weight: 70-90g (2.5-3.2 oz)
Field Marks
Entirely black plumage, long tail almost as long as its body. Large, heavy bill with smoothly-curved culmen. Bill has horizontal grooves along the length of the upper mandible. Sexes similar.
Similar species
It is very similar to the Smooth-billed Ani, some of which have bills as small as the Groove-billed and with grooves on the basal half. The two species are best distinguished by voice and range. Grackles have much thinner bills. In flight, the ani alternates between quick, choppy flaps and short glides.
Sounds
Feeding & Behavior
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. Feeds largely on a mixed diet of insects, seeds, and fruits.
Habitat & Nesting
Found in open and partly open country, such as pastures, savanna, and orchards.
Range
A resident species throughout most of its range, from southern Texas and central Mexico through Central America, to northern Colombia and Venezuela, and coastal Ecuador and Peru. It only retreats from the northern limits of its range in Texas and northern Mexico during winter.
Resources
