Groove-billed Ani
Groove-billed Ani has declined: down 40% on the route-weighted index since 1971.
About the Groove-billed Ani
The Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) is a North American member of the Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis (Cuculidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 10.5–22 in long (27–56 cm) — a slender, long-tailed bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 30 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the Tamaulipan Brushlands.
- Family
- Cuculidae · Forest birds
Notable Groove-billed Ani Trends
No notable trend signals for Groove-billed Ani. See the full index history below.
Groove-billed Ani Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Groove-billed Ani is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±32.7%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Where the Groove-billed Ani Is Detected
BBS routes recording Groove-billed Ani, sized by most recent count.
Groove-billed Ani Population Trend by State
| Texas | -38% | 1971 | 30 |
Groove-billed Ani Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | -52% | 1971 | 21 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | -46% | 1987 | 6 |
Groove-billed Ani Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 40% since 1971.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.