#skunk bird

[danphe]

Inktober day 24 - Hoatzin https://www.instagram.com/p/B4A1uSeAoj6/

[dinodorks]

A pair of hoatzins in Ecuador.

[thecreatureawaits]

The Creature Awaits #117:

Each week I plan to feature an amazing creature, admiring God's fantastic artistry.  Hopefully it’ll brighten someone’s day to see something new and interesting if they haven’t seen it before. : )

(Magnificent photo taken by Aaron Pomerantz, a.k.a. The Next Gen Scientist (CC BY 2.0))

The Hoatzin

A.K.A: The Canje Pheasant, The Reptile Bird, The Skunk Bird, The Stink Bird

Scientific Name: Opisthocomus hoazin

Region: In swamps and mangrove forests throughout the Orinoco and Amazon Basins of South America

Size: About 26" (~65cm) long, including the tail

Interesting Note: This gorgeous birds gained monikers like "Skunk Bird" and "Stink Bird" as the way their digestive system actually ferments the vegetation they consume (in a way similar to the digestive system of cows) leads to a definitively unpleasant scent. They are actually the only known bird to digest their food in this way.

Perhaps their most fascinating trait, however, is that their young are born with claws on the bend of the wing, similar to a bat or archaeopterex, which fall off as they age.