This order has only one living species of bird – the hoatzin. The hoatzin can be found in and around Southern America’s Orinoco and Amazon River basins. Some other common names for this bird are stinkbird, skunk bird, or reptile bird.
A small head, a long neck, and a long tail characterize hoatzins. They have long eyelashes, red irises, and bare, bright blue faces. The young ones possess two claws on each wing that are shed as they grow up.
A very peculiar characteristic of this bird is that it is the only bird that ferments vegetation in its stomach, similar to how a cow does! This lets them feed on leaves and buds. They are folivores – herbivores that specialize in eating leaves.
Distribution
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Peru
Suriname
VenezuelaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Colony
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
Hoatzin on banknotes
