Opisthocomus hoazin
The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), often called the 'stinkbird,' is an enigmatic and visually striking avian species, measuring approximately 60-70 cm (24-28 inches) in length and weighing 700-900 grams (1.5-2 lbs). Its plumage is a mosaic of dark olive-brown on the back and wings, contrasting sharply with a rufous underbelly and a pale, streaky breast. Distinctive field marks include its small, bright red eyes, a bare blue face, and a prominent spiky rufous crest, giving it an almost prehist...
Found exclusively in lowland tropical riparian and swampy forests, it prefers areas with dense vegetation along slow-moving rivers, oxbow lakes, and backwaters, typically below 500 meters in elevation.
Primarily an obligate folivore, its diet consists almost entirely of leaves and buds (about 80-90%), supplemented with some flowers and fruits, which it browses directly from vegetation.
Hoatzins are diurnal, spending most of their day foraging in the canopy and roosting communally in trees along waterways. Their foraging strategy is unique; they are obligate folivores, browsing on leaves and buds with a specialized digestive system. They exhibit strong territoriality, with famil...
The Hoatzin is a resident species, with its distribution centered within the Amazon and Orinoco river basins of South America. Its range extends across northern Brazil, eastern Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia. It is an obli...
Least Concern
- The Hoatzin is famously known as the 'stinkbird' due to the strong, musky odor produced by its unique digestive system, which ferments leaves in its enlarged crop. - Hoatzin chicks possess two functional claws on each wing, a rare adaptation allowing them to clamber through branches and escape ...