Definition of hoatzin Hoatzin

ho•at•zin

We found 6 definitions of hoatzin from 6 different sources.

What does hoatzin mean?

Noun Plural: hoatzins
hoatzin - crested ill-smelling South American bird whose young have claws on the first and second digits of the wings
		hoactzin, stinkbird, Opisthocomus hoazin
		gallinacean, gallinaceous bird heavy-bodied largely ground-feeding domestic or game birds

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hoatzin (Noun)
A bird, Opisthocomus hoazin , with claws on the wing fingers of the juvenile and an enlarged crop used as a rumen.

hoatzin
hō-at′sin, n. a remarkable South American bird, the same as the Touraco (q.v.).—Also Hoact′zin, Hoa′zin. [S. Amer.]

The Hoatzin ("Opisthocomus hoazin") is a bird are considered a relic from the age of the dinosaurs. They represent the only living member of the family Opisthocomidae, and its close relatives probably died out long ago. This feature is a remnant from what is considered the first species of bird, Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago. Hoatzins communicate through unusual sounds that resemble wheezing, grunting, growls, and hisses.