Greater ani

The greater ani, a striking bird from the cuckoo family, can be observed from Panama and Trinidad down to tropical South America and northern Argentina. Often referred to as the black cuckoo, it thrives in mangrove swamps, semi-open woodlands near water, and forest edges. In certain areas, this bird even migrates seasonally.

A captivating aspect of the greater ani is its communal nesting behavior. Multiple breeding pairs collaborate to construct a deep cup-shaped nest lined with leaves, typically placed 2-5 meters above the ground in a tree. Several females lay their chalky deep-blue eggs in the same nest and collectively share duties such as incubation and feeding of the hatchlings. Occasionally, non-breeding helpers assist the group, resulting in nests containing anywhere from 3 to 10 eggs. Interestingly, approximately 15% of the females participate in conspecific brood parasitism, laying their eggs in another group's nest, often because their own clutch was preyed upon.

Adult greater anis measure about 48 cm in length and weigh around 170 grams. They exhibit a glossy blue-black plumage, a long tail, a ridged black bill, and a white iris, whereas the younger birds have a dark iris. These birds are social creatures, typically found in noisy groups that produce croaking and turkey-like gobbling sounds. Their diet mainly consists of large insects, but they also feed on lizards and frogs.