Listen to the hoatzin
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the hoatzin
The hoatzin is a bird in the family Opisthocomidae (order Opisthocomiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”.
What does the hoatzin sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
The recordings here are labelled as call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The hoatzin ( WAHT-sin, -seen; also HO-tsin and hoh-AT-sin) (Opisthocomus hoazin) is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests, and mangroves of the Amazon and Orinoco Basins in South America. It is the only extant species in the genus Opisthocomus which is the only extant genus in the family Opisthocomidae under the order Opisthocomiformes. Despite being the subject of intense debate by specialists, the taxonomic position of this family is still far from clear.
The hoatzin is notable for its chicks having primitive claws on two of their wing digits. It is unique among birds in possessing a digestive system that significantly supports the fermentation and the effective breakdown of plant matter, a trait more commonly known from herbivorous ungulate-ruminant mammals and some primates. This bird is also the national bird of Guyana, where the local name for this bird is Canje pheasant.
Frequently asked questions
What does a hoatzin sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the hoatzin on this page, including its call. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the hoatzin endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the hoatzin as “least concern”.
What family does the hoatzin belong to?
The hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) belongs to the family Opisthocomidae in the order Opisthocomiformes.
Sources & credits
- Call · Sucumbíos: 'La Selva Jungle Lodge', n bank Río Napo, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q188660 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Hoatzin – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Charles J. Sharp – CC BY-SA 4.0