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















