The Hoatzin Is a Cow Bird

The hoatzin is a tropical bird found in South American swamps and mangroves. It has an unfeathered blue face and maroon eyes.

Hoatzin chicks hatch with two claws on each wing for climbing branches. Chickens also bear them, so the hoatzin is not alone.

The generic name Opisthocomus comes from Ancient Greek meaning long hair behind. This refers to its large spiky rufous crest.

Food travels slowly through this tropical bird.

Hoatzins eat leaves of over 50 botanical species. The serrations essentially turn the beak into salad tongs.

Specialized bacteria ferment foliar material in a huge crop folded into two chambers. That crop really displaces the flight muscles.

Bacterial fermentation gives the hoatzin a manure-like odor. Locals call it the stinkbird. Mature birds are rarely hunted for food.