Hoatzin (Melanerpes cruentatus) - Yasuni National Park, EC
This strange dinosaur like bird was one of my most wanted as we canoed into the amazonian jungle at Napo Lodge in Yasuni National Park.
It is the only member of the genus Opisthocomus and is the only extant genus in the family Opisthocomidae.
Genetic studies show that the hoatzin is the last surviving member of a bird line that branched off in its own direction 64 million years ago, shortly after the extinction event that killed the non-avian dinosaurs.
Hoatzin (Melanerpes cruentatus) - Yasuni National Park, EC
This strange dinosaur like bird was one of my most wanted as we canoed into the amazonian jungle at Napo Lodge in Yasuni National Park.
It is the only member of the genus Opisthocomus and is the only extant genus in the family Opisthocomidae.
Genetic studies show that the hoatzin is the last surviving member of a bird line that branched off in its own direction 64 million years ago, shortly after the extinction event that killed the non-avian dinosaurs.