Groove-billed Ani
Groove-billed AniGroove-billed AniGroove-billed AniGroove-billed Ani

Groove-billed Ani

Crotophaga sulcirostris

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Tikal National Park
7 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
14,329 Verified sightings across all 56 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Groove-billed Ani

The groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) is a tropical bird in the cuckoo family with a long tail and a large, curved beak. It is a resident species throughout most of its range, from southern Texas, central Mexico and The Bahamas, through Central America, to northern Colombia and Venezuela, and coastal Ecuador and Peru. It only retreats from the northern limits of its range in Texas and northern Mexico during winter.

The groove-billed ani was formally described by the English naturalist William Swainson from a specimen collected in Temascaltepec, Mexico. It still bears its original binomial name of Crotophaga sulcirostris. The specific epithet combines the Latin sulcus meaning "furrow" with -rostris meaning "-billed". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

The groove-billed ani is about 34 cm (13 in) long, and weighs 70–90 g (2.5–3.2 oz). Wingspan ranges 41–46 cm (16–18 in). It is completely black, with a very long tail almost as long as its body. It has a huge bill with lengthwise grooves running the length of the upper mandible. It is very similar to the smooth-billed ani, some specimens of which have bills as small as the... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Squirrel Cuckoo
LC

Squirrel Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piaya cayana

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Pheasant Cuckoo
LC

Pheasant Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dromococcyx phasianellus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Striped Cuckoo
LC

Striped Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tapera naevia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
LC

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coccyzus americanus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~60%
2 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~50%
3 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
4 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~30%
5 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
6 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
7 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
8 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
9 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
10 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~30%
11 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
12 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
13 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
14 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
15 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
16 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
17 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
18 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
19 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
20 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
21 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
22 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
23 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
24 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
25 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
26 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
27 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
28 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
29 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
30 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
31 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
32 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
33 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
34 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
35 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
36 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
37 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
38 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
40 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
41 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
42 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
43 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
44 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
45 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
46 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
47 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
48 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
49 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
50 Huascarán National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
51 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
52 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
53 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
54 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
55 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
56 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Groove-billed Ani in Tikal National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Groove-billed Ani sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Groove-billed Ani in Tikal National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Groove-billed Ani in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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