Weird Animals – A List Of The World’s Strangest Species

Hoatzin
Hoatzin
Scientific name: Opisthocomus hoazin

Type of animal: Bird

Family: Opisthocomidae

Where found: South America

Conservation status: Least Concern

The hoatzin, also known as the stinkbird, is a weird bird found in South America’s Amazon and Orinoco basins.

The stinkbird has a distinctive appearance, with a spiky crest on its head and a patch of blue skin surrounding its eyes – but that’s not the only reason it has been included in this list of weird animals.

The hoatzin’s unpleasant nickname comes from the odor produced as a by-product of its unusual digestive system, in which leaves are fermented in a special area of its throat. No other bird digests its food in such a manner.

As if that weren’t enough, unlike nearly all other birds, infant hoatzins have claws on their wings that help them to climb back into the nest if they fall out.

This unique species is the only member both of the family, Opisthocomidae, and the order, Opisthocomiformes.