Animals on the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Populations of the Great-tailed Grackle have been increasing especially in the north of Costa Rica. Their voice is an exceedingly diverse repertoire of harsh rattles interspersed with sharp loud whistling notes.
The gregarious birds have well adapted to urban areas and their large, noisy roosts are frequently found in the central plaza of towns in the Northern Nicoya Peninsula.
The Grooved-billed Ani belongs to the cuckoo family. The black birds live
in groups of around five breeding pairs. They lay their eggs in one communal nest and together incubate the eggs
and then care for the young.
If you see a group of anis sitting around and occasionally flying
up to pick something, then there is probably a battalion of
army ants on a raid, stirring up small wildlife.