A coal-black bird with a featherless area around the dark, sharp-looking eye. It perches on a limb with brown, dead leaves on it. It holds a long black tail aloft, long legs slightly off-center as it leans into a center of gravity. CREDIT: Drew Beamer eBird, 24 Nov 2017, Encinitas Community Park, San Diego, California, United States
They're a tropical bird in the cuckoo family, with a range from Texas & California all the way to South America.
The grooved bill distinguishes them from the closely related smooth-billed ani (Crotophaga ani) that are only found in South America.
(📷: Drew Beamer)