Trivia question for Jan-16-2011

Here is a bit of trivia from Olivia. She liked this bird when she first saw it because she said it looked like this bird was having a bad hair day  The chicks are unusual in that two of their wing digits possess claws (careful picking these guys up).

So here’s our question. Can you name these peculiar looking birds and tell us which country boasts these birds as their National Bird?

Good Luck 

Answer:

Congratulations Ty and Kathy, you got both the species name and the country that boast this bird as their National Bird correct.  This is a Hoatzin, also known as the Hoactzin, Stinkbird, or Canje “Pheasant”.  The name Stinkbird is related to a strong smell produced by this bird, perhaps due to the consumption of leaves.

This is a noisy species, with a variety of hoarse calls, including groans, croaks, hissing and grunts.  These calls are often associated with body movements such as wing spreading.  While its preferred habitats, mangrove and riverine forest, are disappearing fast in some regions, it is less threatened than terra firme forest, which is the primary target for deforestation in the Amazon.  The Hoatzin therefore remains fairly common in a large part of its range.

Here is more on these fine looking birds: Hoatzin

Thanks for playing along