Research Paper On Hoatzin

One of the many animals in the Amazon Rain forest is the Hoatzin. It is such a unique and different animal that you almost have to see to believe that it exists (Billerman). Its outer features are from various types of animals (editors of Britannica encyclopedia). Some of its characteristics are from cuckoos, turkeys and chickens. The hoatzin also gets some of its inner parts from cows, like its digestive system. Because of this, some people call it a “flying cow” but it is not actually a flying cow (Billerman). Since it is such an unusual animal, scientists have put the hoatzin as the only bird in its order, family genus, and species (editors of Britannica encyclopedia). The hoatzin is the most unique bird in South America.
The scientific name for the hoatzin is Opisthocomus hoazin. It means “pheasant with a crest down its back” (Zahler). The hoatzin’s regular name is spelled different from its scientific name because it is spelled without the “t” (Billerman). The hoatzin grows up to be twenty-five inches, about the size of a chicken (Hoatzin). Its body is short and the upper body is a dark brown and the lower part of the body is a combination of red and dark brown. The tail is a bronze- green color and there is a white band on the end of it (Williams). Their heads have yellow feathers on the top (editors of Britannica encyclopedia). …show more content…
They live in the Amazon and Orinoco Basins and they also live in the low-land areas of northern and central South America. They nest in shrubs and mangrove trees near slow-moving rivers and lakes. Hoatzins also like to nest where it is quiet (Fields). They also live near swamps and marshy waters. The live in colonies, which consist of ten to fifty birds. Hoatzins usually sit in open areas unless they are being attacked. Then they will run for protection under dense coverings