The hoatzin is one of the most unusual birds in the world, so unusual that ornithologists are still puzzled by the bird's evolution and exactly where it belongs in the world's avifauna. Some believe it to have prehistoric roots and a close relationship to Archeopteryx, the famous feathered dinosaur, while others believe this South American bird may actually have originated in Europe. It may be closely related to pheasants, or cuckoos or some other birds, but there is one thing all birders and ornithologists agree on – this unique bird is well worth a closer look.


Common Name: Hoatzin, Stinking Pheasant, Stinkbird, Canje Pheasant, Cigana, Shansho, Stink Turkey

Scientific Name: Opistohocomus hoazin

Scientific Family: Opisthocomidae

Appearance:

• Bill: Relatively large and thick, somewhat rounded upper mandible, blunt tip, gray-brown or grayish color
• Size: 24-27 inches long with 90-inch wingspan, long neck, long tail, long wispy crest, small head, large rounded wings
• Colors: Brown, black, blue, red, buff, chestnut
• Markings: Genders are similar with a bare blue face, bold red eye and a thin wispy crest that is chestnut-colored with dark tips. The upperparts are brownish-black with short buff streaking on the hindneck and upper back, and the dark wings show three thin buff bars and brighter chestnut primary feathers. The chin, throat and breast are creamy buff. The lower abdomen, undertail coverts and upper thighs are chestnut colored, and the black tail has a broad buff tip. The legs and feet are black or dark gray-black.
  
  Hatchlings are covered with a dark down and show two claws on each wing, which they use to climb back into the nest after falling to evade predators. They lose those claws as they mature, and older juvenile birds are similar to adults.
  
  Species is monotypic.

Foods: Leaves, buds, flowers, fruit, plants (See: Herbivorous)

Habitat and Migration:

These unusual birds are always found near slow, relatively stagnant water such as oxbow lakes, sluggish rivers, swamps, forested rivers and lakes. They stay in lowland areas, preferably with mangrove and legume trees. Hoatzins are found year-round in the Orinoco and Amazon River basins and similar habitats throughout northern South America, including French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, southern Venezuela, southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru, northeastern Bolivia and northwestern Brazil. Hoatzins do not migrate.

Vocalizations:

These are noisy birds that have a varied vocabulary of coughs, grunts, hisses, groans, hoots and yelps. They often vocalize excessively while in motion, whether in flight or climbing through vegetation.

Behavior:

Hoatzins are gregarious birds that are found in small groups, with 10-12 birds typical in flock though larger groups of 50 or more individuals may be seen where food is abundant. These are clumsy, ungainly birds that cannot walk and fly with a lumbering path and deep wing beats.

The digestive tract of the hoatzin is one of the most unique in the avian world; these birds digest much of the plant material they consume in their crop or upper esophagus, a type of digestion more common to sheep and cows rather than other birds that digest food in the gizzard. Because of this elongated digestion, hoatzins develop a distinctive odor similar to cow manure or rotting hay. These birds rarely drink, instead getting most of their water from food.

Reproduction:

These are monogamous birds that nest in small colonies, and a mated pair will often have additional help from several other hoatzins that assist with nest-building, incubation or feeding hatchlings. Both genders work together to construct a platform nest of sticks and twigs, always positioned over water and ranging from 5-20 feet in length. The eggs are a yellow-buff color and marked with bluish or violet spots or specks, and there are 2-5 eggs per brood.

Both males and females share incubation duties for 29-32 days, and after hatching, both continue to care for the altricial young for 60-70 days until they manage their first flight, though young birds may leave the nest several weeks before beginning to fly. If young birds are threatened in the nest, they will deliberately fall into the water below, swimming away from the threat and later using their wing claws to climb back into the nest. Only one brood is raised each year.

Attracting Hoatzins:

Because they nest over water and stay near their nesting areas year-round, these are not typical backyard birds, and because of their somewhat overpowering stench, they are not always welcome near human habitation. Birders can see hoatzins somewhat easily on river tours within the birds' range, however, but while these birds can be reluctant to fly and may allow visitors to approach closely, it is best to stay further away to avoid stressing the birds.

Conservation:

Hoatzins have a large range and prefer habitat that is surprisingly undisturbed because there are other, easier areas for tropical agriculture or harvesting, though habitat loss and river drainage can impact their range. These birds are not considered threatened or endangered, and while their eggs are occasionally collected for food, the birds themselves are rarely hunted because of their strong odor and a reputation for poor-tasting meat (again, due to the smell). Excessive, irresponsible avitourism is one of the greatest threats to hoatzins, as repeated stress can cause health problems for these birds and can endanger hatchlings.

Similar Birds:

• Guinea Turaco (Tauraco persa)
• Pavonin Cuckoo (Dromococcyx pavoninus)
• Pheasant Cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus)
• Speckled Chachalaca (Ortalis guttata)

Photo – Hoatzin © Lee Hunter