Page 135 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

HOATZIN 135

Crop
A food ‘pouch’ in the hoatzin’s
chest accounts for about 13 per
cent of the bird’s entire body
weight.

ORDER Cuculiformes / FAMILY
Key Facts Opisthocomidae / GENUS & SPECIES
Opisthocomus hoazin

Weight Up to 816g (28.8oz)

Length 61–66cm (24–26in)
Sexual maturity 3 years
Head Breeding season Rainy season
A small head supports an
Number of eggs 2–5
elaborate head crest.This crest
gives the hoatzin its scientific Incubation period 28 days
name, Opisthocomus hoazin, Breeding interval Once or twice a year
meaning ‘wearing long hair
Typical diet Fruit and leaves
behind’.
Lifespan Up to 8 years in the wild

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.