The Story
Two Hoatzins sat together in a tree at Playa Rica Turismo Comunitario, by the Putumayo River near Puerto Asís, Putumayo, Colombia. The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) lives in swamps, riparian forest and mangroves, and it eats mostly leaves, along with some flowers and fruit. Its crop is so large that it takes space from the flight muscles and breastbone, which limits how well it flies. Hoatzins nest in small colonies, building stick nests in trees that hang over water. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 1600. Playa Rica’s community tourism is run by ASOPAAP, an association of artisanal fishers and farmers, and it offers guided Amazonian birding.
©2022 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