hoatzin

noun

hoa·​tzin wä(t)-ˈsēn 

: a crested large South American bird (Opisthocomos hoazin) with blue facial skin, red eyes, brown plumage marked with white above, and claws on the first and second digits of the wing when young

Illustration of hoatzin

Examples of hoatzin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While hoatzins are a particular highlight, the region also plays host to eye-catching species like the scarlet macaw and spangled cotinga, while resident mammals range from the pygmy marmoset to the giant river otter. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Chickens share the most DNA with the first bird ancestor, closely followed by hoatzin and emu. —Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2015

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Nahuatl huāctzin the laughing falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans)

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above