Hoatzin
| Hoatzin Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| At Manu National Park, Peru | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Opisthocomiformes |
| Family: | Opisthocomidae |
| Genus: | Opisthocomus Illiger, 1811 |
| Species: | O. hoazin |
| Binomial name | |
| Opisthocomus hoazin (Müller, 1776) | |
| Range | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Phasianus hoazin Müller, 1776 | |
The hoatzin (/hoʊˈætsɪn/ hoh-AT-sin) or hoactzin (/hoʊˈæktsɪn/ hoh-AKT-sin) (Opisthocomus hoazin) is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests, and mangroves of the Amazon and the Orinoco basins in South America. It is the only extant species in the genus Opisthocomus which is the only extant genus in the Opisthocomidae family under the order of Opisthocomiformes. Despite being the subject of intense debate by specialists, the taxonomic position of this family is still far from clear.
The hoatzin is notable for its chicks having primitive claws on two of their wing digits; the species also is unique in possessing a digestive system capable of fermentation and the effective breaking-down of plant matter, a trait more commonly known from herbivorous ungulate-ruminant mammals and some primates. This bird is also the National bird of Guyana, where the local name for this bird is the Canje pheasant.