noun
- Plural of hoactzin; tropical American birds with clawed wings and a digestive system that produces a distinctive odor.
Usage: Also called stinkbirds; Scientific name: Opisthocomus hoazin; Primarily used in ornithology and natural history contexts
Examples
- Hoactzines are found in the wetlands and forests of South America.
- The hoactzines' chicks have claws on their wings, a primitive feature rarely seen in modern birds.
- Ornithologists study hoactzines to understand avian evolution.
- Hoactzines produce a distinctive musky odor from their fermentation-based digestive system.
- The wetland ecosystem supports a population of hoactzines along the river.