#hoatzin

[emilylorange]

actually i rather like how this batch of three turned out :V

[herpsandbirds]

Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) aka “Stink Turkey”, family Opisthocomidae, order Opisthocomiformes, Peru

The only living member of the bird order Opisthocomiformes.

This leaf-eating bird uses foregut fermentation, in its enlarged crop, to help break down its food. (The ferementation is where the smell comes from, which gives it the name “Pavo Apestoso”)

They live in vegetation at the edges of lakes, streams, and rivers.

The young have 2 small claws on the fronts of the wingsthat help them climb through vegetation.

photograph by JJ Pamplona

[amnhnyc]

What’s one bird famous for its foul smell? Meet the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)! It’s the only bird known to have a form of digestion called foregut fermentation, in which bacteria help to break down the cell walls of leaves, its main source of food. This ability comes with a price, though. As bacteria is released, the Hoatzin bleches out methane. The burps have a manure-like odor that inspired this species nickname: “the stinkbird!”

Photo: The Next Gen Scientist, CC BY 2.0, flickr

[battle-of-the-birds]

Remember to read about the contestants before voting!

Violet Backed Starling

With dazzling colors, the Violet Backed Starling is sure to catch your eye. They are found in Africa, preying on insects. It’s the only member of its genus, but despite that its considered Least Concern for their conservation status! Learn More!

Hoatzin

Hoatzin are birds native to Amazon and South America. They live above rivers, climbing along branches, as they aren’t very good fliers. Their main food is leaves, with specialized stomachs to digest them, similar to cows! They’re the only bird to do this. They are very stinky for this reason, since they need to ferment the leaves in order to gain nutrients and this causes a poo-like stink! Learn More!

(Violet Backed Starling photo by Nigel Voaden) (Hoatzin photo by Angus Pritchard)

[hr-bananabird]

Ref sheet commission for Ludo!

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Birds

Opisthocomidae. This order is made up of the hoatzin, a South American bird that digests leaves with special gut bacteria similar to ruminants like cows. Because of this, it is also known as the stinkbird.

Gaviiformes. This order is made up of loons, also known as divers, large aquatic birds.

[vintagewildlife]

Hoatzin By: Unknown photographer From: WWF Threatened Animals 1986

[critter-creature-or-beast]

Image by Herbert Bieser from Pixabay

[artsyaxolotl]

Meet March's Pal of the Month... the Hoatzin!

Hailing from the swamps of South America, the Hoatzin is a fascinating relic of the past. It's lineage is believed to stretch back to the age of dinosaurs. Like the Archaeopteryx, Hoatzin chicks have claws on their wings to help them climb trees to avoid predators!

The Hoatzin is the only bird species that is almost exclusively folivorous, meaning they primarily eat the leaves of plants. Much like cows, the hoatzin ferments its leafy meals in a specialized crop, producing a pungent odor reminiscent of manure. This has earned it the nickname "stinkbird".

They are the national bird of Guyana!

Members of the Ko-fi Club will get a 3in sticker and a collectible trading card!

[feather-bone]

Hoatzin! Strange little dinosaur bird.

[ID: an illustration of a hoatzin on a branch, with its head lowered and its wings raised. It is on a green background. End.]

[herpsandbirds]

Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) aka "Stink Turkey", family Opisthocomidae, Manu National Park, Peru

The only living member of the bird order Opisthocomiformes.

This leaf-eating bird uses foregut fermentation, in its enlarged crop, to help break down its food. (The ferementation is where the smell comes from - "Pavo Apestoso")

They live in vegetation at the edges of lakes, streams, and rivers.

photograph by Francesco Veronesi

[dwmmphotography]

Hoatzin are birds of the South American tropics who have a stinky reputation. Living around slow moving or still water, these birds are folivores - eating leaves and fermenting them in a well developed crop to extract maximum nutrients (foregut fermentation, like in cows). The extra weight of fermenting plant doesn't make for great flying ability, but it does allow for methane burps.

[pillarsalt]

[stickynotebirds]

37. Hoatzin