Hoatzin

About the Hoatzin

The hoatzin 　(Opisthocomus hoazin) is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests, and mangroves of the Amazon and 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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The hoatzin is pheasant-sized, with a total length of 65 cm (26 in), and a long neck and small head. It has an unfeathered, blue face with maroon eyes, and its head is topped by a spiky, rufous crest. The long, sooty-brown tail is bronze-green tipped with a broad, whitish or buff band at the end. The upper parts are dark, sooty brown-edged buff on the wing coverts and streaked buff on the mantle and nape.

What the Hoatzin sounds like

Where it lives

When to see it

The Hoatzin can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Quick questions

How do you identify a Hoatzin?

The hoatzin is pheasant-sized, with a total length of 65 cm (26 in), and a long neck and small head. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Hoatzin?

The Hoatzin is a large sized bird weighing about 696 g.

Where can you see a Hoatzin?

The Hoatzin occurs in 9 countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.

What does a Hoatzin sound like?

You can listen to a field recording of the Hoatzin on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

Is the Hoatzin endangered?

The Hoatzin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.