An ancient bird

This is one of the more unusual birds we photograph in the tropics. The Hoatzin (pronounced “watson”) is one of the most ancient of all bird species. It is unusual in a number of ways. First, it eats primarily leaves. Like many herbivore mammals (cattle, sheep, etc) the Hoatzin have bacteria that ferment the leaves, only in the bird this is not done in the rumen (a stomach compartment of cattle and sheep) but rather the fermentation is done in the crop, a compartment of the esophagus. As a consequence of the fermentation in the upper part of the digestive system, these birds emit a foul odor in their breath. This is the origin of their common name-Skunk Bird or Stink Bird. They are social, usually in groups of 3-10 birds and make a variety of grunts, clicks, and honks as they move about the undergrowth of the swamps they live in. The chicks are born with claws in their wings that they use to climb about the trees before they can fly. This helps to protect them from falling into the water below where hungry Caimans and Crocodiles live.