Species guide
Smooth-billed Ani: how to recognise it
A bird of North America and South America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Esteban Poveda · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Crotophaga ani
- Family
- Cuckoos
- Size
- About 30–35 cm
- Habitat
- Pastures, scrub and gardens
- Found in
- North America and South America
The key marks
A scruffy black bird with a high-arched bill and a long, loose tail.
Voice
A rising, whining “oo-eek”.
Good to know
Several females lay eggs in one shared nest, and the group raises the young together.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in pastures, scrub and gardens. It is especially common in Brazil. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.