The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests, and mangroves of the Amazon and the Orinoco basins in South America. It is notable for having chicks that have claws on two of their wing digits.
Large, dumpy bird found around lake edges and slow-moving streams. Head looks too small for its large brown body. Its orange mohawk, blue facial skin, and stubby bill make this bird extremely distinctive. Usually found in groups or pairs. Moves clumsily around waterside vegetation, making loud huffing noises.[2]
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Other common names
also known as the reptile bird, skunk bird, stinkbird, or Canje pheasant
Taxonomy[]
For decades ornithologists have debated the relationships of this unique South American bird: at various times the Hoatzin has been thought to be related to Galliformes (cracids and relatives) or to Cuculiformes (cuckoos and relatives), but to date the Hoatzin has defied easy classification.[3]
It is the only member of the genusOpisthocomus (Ancient Greek: "long hair behind", referring to its large crest).[4] This is the only extant genus in the familyOpisthocomidae. The taxonomic position of this family has been greatly debated by specialists, and is still far from clear.
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References[]
^BirdLife International (2009). Opisthocomus hoazin. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 12 August 2011.
^Billerman, S. M. (2020). Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.hoatzi1.01
This article is part of Project Aves, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each bird, including made-up species.
This article is part of Project Opisthocomiformes/idae, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each hoatzin, including made-up species.
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This article is part of Project Bird Families, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each bird family, including made-up families.
This article is part of Project Bird Taxonomy, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every order, family and other taxonomic rank related to birds.
This article is part of Project Bird Genera, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each genus, including made-up genera.
This article is part of Project Monotypic Genera, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each monotypic genera, including made-up species.
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