Stinky Bird For Stinky Times

Hoatzin birds are also called skunk birds and stinkbirds, due to their foul odor, which is caused by the fermentation of food in their digestive systems. They also belch and bark in gutteral tones, and generally don’t act like other birds. Scientists have been trying to trace the origin of Hoatzins for years; the current theory is they branched off from the rest of the avian tree about 65 million years ago, and are the only remaining species in its group. This Hoatzin was photographed in the Ecuadorian Amazon by Park Hill resident Mark Silverstein.