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Greater Ani

Crotophaga major

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernOmnivoreForestPlatform nestMedium · 148 g
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 1
Photo: Arthur Chapman · CC BY 2.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 2
Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 3
Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 4
Photo: Miguel A. Paixão · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 5
Photo: Vincent A. Vos · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 6
Photo: Luan Mazzeo · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 7
Photo: Luan Mazzeo · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 8
Photo: Joao Quental · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 9
Photo: Navin Sasikumar · CC BY 4.0
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), photo 10
Photo: Navin Sasikumar · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

The greater ani is about 46 cm (18 in) in length. Males weigh around 162 g (5.7 oz), females 145 g (5.1 oz). The adult is mainly blue-glossed black, with a long tail, massive ridged black bill, and a white iris. Immature birds have a brown iris. The calls include croaking and turkey-like gobbling kro-koro.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Greater Ani

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Greater Ani

Regular range

The map shades 18 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Colombia Panama Brazil Ecuador Peru Argentina Bolivia Venezuela Guyana Paraguay Trinidad & Tobago French Guiana Suriname Costa Rica Uruguay Curaçao Aruba Caribbean Netherlands

About the Greater Ani

The greater ani is a bird in the cuckoo family. It is sometimes referred to as the black cuckoo. It is found through tropical South America south to northern Argentina.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostrisThe groove-billed ani is about 34 cm (13 in) long, and weighs 70–90 g (2.5–3.2 oz). Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) Smooth-billed AniCrotophaga aniThe smooth-billed ani is a mid-sized species, larger on average than the groove-billed ani but smaller than the greater ani.

Side by side: Greater Ani vs Smooth-billed Ani · Greater Ani vs Groove-billed Ani

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