THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



) National Geographic Society 



STRANGE ANIS AND SWIFT ROAD-RUNNER ARE CLOSE COUSINS 



All are members of the cuckoo clan, although they bear little resemblance to their relatives 

 except for the long tail (see opposite Plate). The Smooth-billed Ani (upper left) and the 

 Groove-billed Ani (right) are subtropical birds which barely come within the borders of the 

 United States. Like cowbirds, they are often seen around cattle and feed on parasitic insects. 

 The Road-runner, swallowing a lizard, is a ground cuckoo which rivals a horse in fleetness. 



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