Hoatzin - bizarre birds of the Amazon.

Birds

General Biology

Intervention

Hoatzin

is the common name for this strange bird and is the
only species of its own family Opisthocomidae.
They are now placed in the Cuculiformes order but that is disputed as some still consider them with their old order Galliformes.

Order     CUCULIFORMES

Family    OPISTHOCOMIDAE

Genus    Ophisthocomus

Specie   O. hoazin

Hoatzins are found in lower tropical rainforests of the Amazon.
They are often found sitting in larger groups on trees surrounding lagoons and river. They are weak flyers and feed mostly on leaves of various plants but also on fruits and flowers in limited extent.
The young ones have claws on their wings which enables them to climb up branches. When threatened they drop from the nest into the water and clamper then back up.

    Range       Venezuela - Bolivia

    Habitat      Tropical Rainforests

    Ecuador    Amazon
                        (Limoncocha, Yuturi)

    Status       Secure

Those gregarious and bizarre looking bird are considered distasteful
by the natives and were therefore never hunted.
The only threat to them is habitat destruction through deforestation.

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Copyright

2nd edition, 2002

Erich Lehenbauer
Mosquera Narvaez Oe 5 –12 y Carvajal
(across the Italian Embassy)
Quito, Ecuador

Phone: (00 593 2) 223 0194
Fax: (00 593 2) 222 4393
E-mail: erich@ecuador-travel.net
e_lehenbauer@hotmail.com