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SPECIES PROFILE
Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)
Opisthocomus
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Amazon and Orinoco basins
DIET
Herbivorous
HABITAT
Flooded forest and lakeside vegetation
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Opisthocomiformes
FAMILY
Opisthocomidae
GENUS
Opisthocomus
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 65 cm long
COLORATION
Chestnut and buff with a blue face, red eyes and a spiky crest
ADAPTATIONS
Ferments leaves in a crop like a cow; chicks have wing claws
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Flooded forest and lakeside vegetation
DIET
Herbivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Amazon and Orinoco basins
REPRODUCTION
2-3 eggs over water
DIET DETAILS
Leaves and buds
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Habitat loss
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The only bird that ferments leaves in its gut like a cow, earning it the nickname 'stinkbird'.
2
Chicks have claws on their wings and can climb back into the nest if they fall into the water.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Cuyabeno Reserve
Yasuní NP
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Year-round
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Take a canoe through Amazon oxbow lakes and flooded forest; look for spiky-crested birds clambering in waterside branches.
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