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Groove-billed Ani
[Crotophaga sulcirostris]
[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 17 in.]
The Groove-billed Ani is a tropical relative of the Cuckoo family which looks remarkably like a Great-tailed Grackle at first glance.
Named for the prominent ridges on its stout bill, the Groove-billed Ani occurs in North America primarily in eastern Mexico and coastal western Mexico.
It is also common along the Rio Grande and surrounding areas in Texas, and less common up the Gulf coast of Texas.
In winter most of the Texas birds withdraw to Mexico, but they can always be found in the lower Rio Grande Valley, with a few lingering along the Gulf coast.
This Groove-billed Ani was photographed near Santa Maria in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, USA.
Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film.
(Date: April 2001)
(use image name "anigb1" for inquiries)
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