The Story
I made this photo of a Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) at Ambalema, Tolima, Colombia. It ranges from southern Texas through Central America to northern Colombia, Venezuela and coastal Ecuador and Peru. It lives in open country such as pastures, savanna and orchards. It lives in small groups of one to five breeding pairs that share a single communal nest. It eats a mix of insects, seeds and fruits. Ambalema’s historic center and railway station are national monuments. Ambalema lies about 70 km northeast of Ibagué.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200, −1 EV. IUCN lists the Groove-billed Ani as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) belongs to the family Cuculidae (Cuckoos) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2021), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List