Smooth-billed Ani vs Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Crotophaga ani compared with Neomorphus rufipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Smooth-billed Ani | Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crotophaga ani | Neomorphus rufipennis |
| Order | Cuculiformes | Cuculiformes |
| Family | Cuculidae | Cuculidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 28.8 cm (11.3 in) | 34.1 cm (13.4 in) |
| Weight | 125.375 g (4.42 oz) | 381.25 g (13.45 oz) |
| Diet | Insectivore following cattle herds; eats grasshoppers, beetles, and hairy caterpillars flushed by grazers. Also takes … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 3-7 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Smooth-billed Ani
Rapid, bubbling call with liquid quality; pleasant gurgling notes cascading quickly from dense grassland cover.
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Deep, hollow resonant call; powerful low-frequency sound carrying across dense lowland tropical forest floor.
Geographic Range & Migration
Smooth-billed Ani
Found from Florida and the Caribbean through Central and South America to Argentina. Resident in open habitats.
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Conservation Status
Smooth-billed Ani
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
How to Tell Them Apart
Smooth-billed Ani
New Britain Bronze-cuckoo: bronze-green above; barred white below; red eye; island endemic; iridescent bronze-green coloration
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Pheasant Coucal: dark glossy black head and body; rufous-brown wings; strongly barred dark tail; reddish eye; terrestrial habits
About These Birds
Smooth-billed Ani
A medium-sized, all-black cuckoo (33-36 cm) with a distinctive high-keeled bill and long tail. Found from Florida and the Caribbean through South America. Gregarious, forming flocks. Omnivore, following cattle for disturbed insects. Communal nester with up to 29 eggs in one nest.
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus rufipennis) — 46–50 cm. Bronze-green above; rufous wing panels; pale buff below. Found in humid forest of Venezuela, Guyana, and northern Brazil. Non-parasitic; follows army ants. Insectivore and small vertebrate predator. Rarely encountered; Near Threatened.