Ani, << AH nee, >> is the name of three species (kinds) of birds that resemble the cuckoo. Anis live in open, brushy country, mainly from the Caribbean region and Mexico to southern South America. Two of the species are also found in the extreme southern United States. The smooth-billed ani nests in southern Florida, and the groove-billed ani lives in southern Texas. The third species, the greater ani, ranges only as far north as central Panama.
Anis measure from 12 to 15 inches (30 to 40 centimeters) in length, about half of which is tail. They have a huge bill with a high arched ridge and black feathers that shine with a purple, green, or bronze luster. Anis feed chiefly on insects. They often gather in pastures where cattle are grazing. There, they seize large ground-dwelling insects that are stirred up by the cattle. Anis sometimes perch on the cattle’s backs.
Anis live in noisy flocks of up to about 20 birds. Each flock consists of one to four mated pairs and a number of younger, unmated birds. During the breeding season, the flock claims a territory and prevents other anis from entering it. Together, the birds in the flock build a single nest of twigs in a tree or thorny bush. Each mated female lays three to five eggs in the nest. The entire flock helps care for the eggs and the young.
