The Smooth-billed Ani (*Crotophaga ani*) is a peculiar, all-black bird in the cuckoo family, native to South America, the Caribbean, and parts of Central America, and notably introduced to the Galápagos Islands in the 1960s, likely by farmers hoping it would help control cattle ticks. It's easily identified by its glossy black plumage, long tail, and unusually large, deep, laterally compressed bill with a smooth ridged curve along the top, giving it an almost comical, oversized-beak appearance. Anis are highly social and unusual among birds for their communal breeding behavior — multiple pairs share a single nest, take turns incubating a combined clutch of eggs, and cooperatively raise the chicks together, all while making raspy, whining calls and moving in noisy, gregarious flocks through shrubby, open habitats. In the Galápagos specifically, the Smooth-billed Ani is considered an invasive species and something of an ecological concern, as it competes with native birds for food and habitat and is thought to negatively impact populations of Darwin's finches and other endemic species, prompting some eradication and control efforts on the islands.
