The clawed chicken is the last remaining member of an ancient bird lineage that branched off in its own direction 64 million years ago, shortly after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

Found in the Amazon and Orinoco in South America, the hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) is considered the world’s most mysterious bird.

Fingered chickens have long necks and small heads. They have a hairless blue face with hazel eyes, and a bristling crest on the top of their head.

The upper surface of the chicken’s body is dark gray, the underside of the body is light, the outer flight feathers of the wings are brown, the tail is long gray with a white tip.

Juveniles have two claws on each wing. As soon as they hatch, they can use these claws and feet to crawl around tree branches

When predators such as great black hawks attack the nesting area, the adult chicks will fly noisily around to distract the predator, while the young leave the nest and hide in bushes. tree

They can swim underwater to escape danger, then use their clawed wings to climb back to safety.

The claws on the wings of young chickens bear a remarkable resemblance to those of Archeopteryx, an ancient bird known only from fossils.

However, it has also been hypothesized that the claws of the clawed chicken are of more recent origin and may have evolved from the nestlings’ need to frequently leave the nest and climb vines and dense vegetation.

In 2015, a genetic study showed that the clawed chicken is the last remaining member of an ancient bird lineage that branched off in its own direction 64 million years ago, shortly after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

They are classified in the order Opisthocomiformes, the closest relatives of clawed chickens may be the Chicken order or the Cuckoo order.

Fowl chickens live in flocks and nest in small flocks. Their food is mainly leaves, sometimes flowers and fruits

The digestive system of the clawed chicken is unique among birds. They host special bacteria in the anterior part of their intestines to break down and ferment the plant material they swallow, just like cattle and ruminants do.

They usually lay two or three eggs in a stick-shaped nest in a tree hanging over the water

As a noisy bird, the hen makes a variety of raucous calls, including moans, croaks, hisses, grunts, etc.

Currently, the clawed chicken is at risk of decline due to habitat loss, mainly due to deforestation in the Amazon