THE HOATZIN
A bird without rules
By Dmitri Allicock
The National Bird of Guyana, and a story to tell
An evolutionary mystery with that strange smell
Redolent of cow manure, the Canje Pheasants are
A clumsy bird in flight, shape and origin, bizarre
.
The only extant member the genus Opisthocomus
Related to the herbivore and must be from Venus
It possesses an enormous gut for the food it needs
Like the ones that chew their cuds when they feed
.
Even the chicks are weird, a pair of claws on wings
A bird that croaks, without rules and does not sing
Blue eye shadows and a Mohawk, like a punk rock
Anti- establishment hoatzin & equally is its squawk
.
Rarely hunted but some might use the eggs for food
Reputed bad tasting assures the survival of the brood
Its Greek name meaning ‘wearing long hair behind’
Amongst the exuberant waterways of Guyana, you will find.
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Download poem: The Hoatzin – A bird without rules- by Dmitri Allicock
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Hoatzin claws – video
