General Information

Also known as the Hoactzin, Stinkbird, or Canje "Pheasant", the Hoatzin is the only member of the genus Opisthocomus.

Physical Description

The Hoatzin is pheasant-sized, a total length 65 cm, long-necked and small-headed. It has an un-feathered blue face with maroon eyes, and its head is topped with a spiky crest. The long brown tail is tipped with a buff color, and its upperparts are a dark sooty-brown with buff edges on the wingtips. Its flanks are rich chestnut color but can only be seen when its wings are spread. The Hoatzin scrambles clumsily among tree branches and acts in a tame manner, often allowing a close approach.

Diet

The Hoatzin eats mainly the leaves and, to a lesser degree, fruits of the plants which grow in the marshy and river habitats where it resides. One of this species' many peculiarities is that it has a unique digestive system in comparison with other birds. Hoatzins use bacterial fermentation in the front part of the gut to break down the vegetable material they consume, much like cattle and other ruminants with multiple chambered stomachs specialized for this type of fermentation. In the Hoatzin, however, this is the function of their esophagus, which becomes so large it displaces the flight muscles and keel of the sternum. The bird's flight capacity becomes affected by this redirection of energy. Because of the aromatic compounds in the leaves they consume and the bacterial fermentation, the bird has a disagreeable, manure-like odor and is only hunted for food in times of dire need.

Habitat

The Hoatzin is found in swamps, riverine forest and mangrove of the Amazon as well as the Orinoco delta in South America. Their nests are made of sticks and prefer trees overhanging water in seasonally flooded forests.

Reproduction

Hoatzins nest in small colonies normally laying 2-3 eggs per nest. The chick, which is fed on regurgitated fermented food, has another strange feature; it has two claws on each wing. When disturbed, the chicks drop into the water to escape predators, then use their clawed wings to climb back to the safety of their nest.