any of three species of big-billed, glossy black birds of the genus Crotophaga of the cuckoo family (Cuculidae), of tropical America. These insect eaters forage on the ground in close and noisy flocks, often in fields with cattle. The bill is high-arched, bladelike, and hook-tipped; the tail is long and broad; the wings are short; and the plumage is floppy, so that the bird looks disheveled. Anis fly poorly and utter whining cries. They build a communal tree nest of twigs, in which several females may lay a total of 25 chalky-blue eggs (usually 10 to 15) and share duties of incubation and chick raising.