The Story
I photographed this Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) near La Macarena, Meta, Colombia, in February 2021. It is about the size of a pheasant, 65 centimeters long, with a long neck, a small head and a long tail tipped with a broad pale band. It eats mostly leaves and clambers along branches looking for food, using a leathery bump under its crop to help it balance. It is a noisy bird with a variety of hoarse calls. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/750 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200, −0.5 EV. Visits to Caño Cristales, the Mirador Cristalitos and the Raudal de Angosturas in La Macarena National Park are arranged through authorized local operators.
©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