did you know - Hoatzin

Living exclusively in the Amazon basin is one of the oddest birds on Earth – the Hoatzin. This bird makes me think of Psalm 33:6 – By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

Let’s take a closer look at the Hoatzin, which was made by God and learn how He designed it “just right” -

• ·   Hoatzins (HWAT-sins) are unique birds but in several “odd” ways - one is they are the only birds which exclusively eat leaves.
• ·   Hoatzins need a multi-chambered digestive system, like cows, to digest leaves with bacteria - which kinda makes them flying cows!
• ·   Not really, but all this digestion causes the Hoatzin to burp a very foul-smelling odor – one reason they are known as “Stink-Birds”.
• ·   Hoatzin chicks are born with “odd”, special “claws” on their wings. If a hungry snake, monkey, or hawk comes near, they jump out of their nest and into the water. Hoatzin chicks are excellent swimmers, so they wait in the water until their hungry neighbor is gone. Then, they use their “odd” claws to climb the tree and get back in their nest!
• ·   Hoatzins lose their “climbing claws” when they become adults.

What do you think is the “oddest” thing about Hoatzins?

Activity to Make the Point & Have Fun

God designed Hoatzins with a very special digestive system – one which is unique for birds. So, let’s try a fun activity I learned about online and adapted a bit (from thehomeschoolscientist and homeschoolgameschool) to help you remember God’s amazing design. You will need . . .

• Zippy bags – one per person
• Vegetable oil
• Lemon juice or white vinegar
• Oatmeal

Directions – 1. Put a bit of vegetable oil in your bag and then close the bag and “squish” it to be sure the inside is covered in oil 2. Pour out extra oil and add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar 3. Add 5 pieces of oatmeal 4. Zip closed and mix with your hands 5. Let sit and then see what happens.

Hoatzins eat leaves, which are difficult to digest, so God designed them with a multi-chambered stomach and special bacteria which break the leaves down – digests the leaves. In our experiment, the lemon juice/white vinegar act like the bacteria, to show us what happens with digestion. We know God designed and created Hoatzins, and so many other animals “just right”, so we are able to trust He designed and created us “just right”, too!

Think About This . . .

“The really amazing thing is not that life on Earth is balanced on a knife-edge, but that the entire universe is balanced on a knife-edge and would be total chaos if any of the natural, constants were off even slightly. You see, even if you dismiss man as a chance happening, the fact remains that the universe seems unreasonably suited to the existence of life.”  - Paul Davies, English physicist, author, professor

You will find out more information about Hoatzins in my book,  Cheetahs, Mimic Octopuses, Hoatzins and More, which you are able to buy at this link.