The Story
I made this photo of a Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) at Zacambu Lodge on the Yavarí, in Loreto, Peru. Hoatzin chicks have two claws on each wing, which they use to climb back to the nest after dropping into the water to escape predators. It was once thought to eat only arum and mangrove leaves, but it is now known to eat the leaves of more than 50 plant species. It lives in swamps, riverside forest and mangroves of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Zacambu is about three hours by boat from Leticia, along the Amazon and Yavarí rivers. IUCN lists the Hoatzin as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200. Trips from Leticia to Zacambu include walks in the flooded forest and a visit to a village where monkeys are being released.
©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