smooth billed ani

fairly common down here when I was a lad (50 or so years ago) now considered a rarity. not glamorous looking but it's nice to get a shot at a rare one

CaptBob wrote in post #18400673
fairly common down here when I was a lad (50 or so years ago) now considered a rarity. not glamorous looking but it's nice to get a shot at a rare one

Hosted photo: posted by CaptBob in
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forum: Birds

Hosted photo: posted by CaptBob in
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forum: Birds

Really like pic 2. What an interesting looking bird. Nicely captured.ߙ

Nice shots. I saw a Groove-billed once in Texas, but that was over 30 years ago.

I didn't know we got them in the states, fairly common in Costa Rica

Good ones, Bob. I've seen both smooth- and groove-billed in Panama over the last two years; they are very strange birds, I think in the cuckoo family. One was even reported on the Canadian border west of us a number of years back, probably blown in with a hurricane or something.

KT29 wrote in post #18400738
Really like pic 2. What an interesting looking bird. Nicely captured.ߙ

Total chance opportunity, I had stopped for lunch and he flew by. Wasn't ready so I missed an easy flight shot

kd_reno wrote in post #18400823
Nice shots. I saw a Groove-billed once in Texas, but that was over 30 years ago.

They are reported down here fairly often but that news always attracts a crowd

Paul A wrote in post #18400834
I didn't know we got them in the states, fairly common in Costa Rica

They were pretty common back in the day but with the influx of people their habitat has shrunk

CDMOOSE wrote in post #18400995
Good ones, Bob. I've seen both smooth- and groove-billed in Panama over the last two years; they are very strange birds, I think in the cuckoo family. One was even reported on the Canadian border west of us a number of years back, probably blown in with a hurricane or something.

. I envy your travels and enjoy the photos. They are not speedy fliers but this guy was shy. He kept his distance

These are great Bob, I especially like the second one. I found a cooperative Smooth-billed in the Everglades about 5 years ago. I was told by a ranger there that they're very shy, she was surprised the one I was photographing stayed put.

Nighthound wrote in post #18401340
These are great Bob, I especially like the second one. I found a cooperative Smooth-billed in the Everglades about 5 years ago. I was told by a ranger there that they're very shy, she was surprised the one I was photographing stayed put.

thanks Steve they are rare enough to cause a stir when they show up. interesting looking bird for sure

Nice to find the hard to find ones Bob! Well done.

Yes it is, thanks Ian