The Story
This is a Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) that I photographed in La Macarena, Meta, Colombia on July 6, 2017. It lives in swamps, riverside forest and mangroves of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. It is the only living member of its family, and its chicks have claws on two of their wing digits. Its digestive system ferments plant matter, a trait better known from cattle and other ruminant mammals. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. In 1948 the central part of the Serranía de la Macarena became the first national reserve in Colombia.
I made this frame with a Canon EOS 70D and the EF400mm f/5.6L USM, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. La Macarena is a growing ecotourism destination, and visiting with local guides is one way to support the communities that protect its rivers and forests.
©2018 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