The Story
I photographed this Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) at Nukak Eco Lodge in Puerto Concordia, Meta, Colombia, in February 2021. It lives in swamps, riverside forests and mangroves of the Amazon and Orinoco basins and is the only living member of its family. It eats leaves, of more than 50 plant species, and its digestive system ferments plant matter, a trait better known from cattle and other ruminants. It has a bare blue face, maroon eyes and a spiky rufous crest, and it is the national bird of Guyana. It is a noisy bird with a variety of hoarse calls.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/125 sec, f/6.7, ISO 400. IUCN lists the Hoatzin as Least Concern with a decreasing population.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) belongs to the family Opisthocomidae (Hoatzin) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
