A medium-sized cuckoo, entirely black with a greenish or bluish sheen on the plumage of the back and wings. Its most striking feature is the tall, laterally compressed bill, with a pronounced keel on the culmen, which gives it an unmistakable profile. The eyes are dark. The tail is long and graduated. It measures 33 to 35 cm. Very common in open fields, grasslands and woodland edges.
Behaviour
Highly social. It lives in groups of 5 to 20 individuals that move together, follow livestock to catch the insects they flush, and build communal nests where several females lay their eggs in the same nest. The males and females of the whole group take part in incubation.
How and when to see it
Year-round at all the portales with grasslands and fields. Very easy to see and hear. Its call is a rising nasal wail, "a-níii", from which it takes its name.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where smooth-billed ani has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where smooth-billed ani lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
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El único jardín de plantas carnívoras de Argentina y pionero en Latinoamérica. Tour…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Senderismo guiado. Visita guiada a museos, lugares históricos, capillas y senderos del…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameSmooth-billed Ani
- Scientific nameCrotophaga ani
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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