Facts about Hoatzin

1. 08

   In their native habitat, hoatzins exhibit a distinctive reddish-brown plumage with a small crest on their head and measure approximately 65 centimeters in length, making them one of the larger waterbirds in South American river systems.

   HoatzinMay 14sharemorphologyappearancehabitat
2. 07

   Hoatzin chicks can dive underwater and remain submerged for up to an hour when threatened by predators, resurging in vegetation away from danger.

   HoatzinMay 14sharebehaviordefenseadaptation
3. 06

   Hoatzins spend approximately 90 percent of their time perched in riverside trees rather than flying, as their weak flight muscles and heavy bodies make sustained flight energetically expensive.

   HoatzinMay 14sharebehaviorphysiologyadaptation
4. 05

   Weighing only 150 to 300 grams, hoatzins are among the heaviest chicks relative to their egg size of any bird species due to their precocial development requirements.

   HoatzinMay 14sharebiologymeasurementdevelopment
5. 04

   A hoatzin's stench from its fermentation digestive system earned it the nickname stinkbird across its range in Central and South American river systems.

   HoatzinMay 14sharebiologybehaviorcommonnames
6. 03

   South American wetlands host the hoatzin in flocks of up to 100 birds, which emit a loud, distinctive guttural call used for territorial communication during breeding season.

   HoatzinMay 14sharebehaviorhabitatcommunication
7. 02

   Hoatzin birds digest food in their crop like cows digest grass, using fermentation to break down leaves in a unique foregut system among avian species.

   HoatzinMay 14sharebiologydigestionunique
8. 01

   The hoatzin's chicks possess claws on their wings that they lose by 3 months of age, a primitive feature shared with archaeopteryx.

   HoatzinMay 14sharebiologyevolutionanatomy