Bird eats like a cow!

The hoatzin (pronunced hoh-AT-sin) is one confused critter: Scientists recently discovered that this South American bird eats green leaves and buds--just like a cow! That in itself is surprising because most birds cannot digest the carbohydrates in plant fiber. Instead, they eat sugar-filled berries and protein-rich insects.

But hoatzins have an unusually big crop (food-storage pouch) and esophagus (tube leading from the mouth to the stomach), explains Alejandro Grajal, an ornithologist (bird scientist). Bacteria living in these organs break starchy plant carbohydrates into sugars the bird can digest.

Recent experiments proved just how well the hoatzins' funky digestive system works. "These animals have an incredible efficiency in digesting fiber--higher than anything measured in birds," Grajal says.

The hoatzins' diet may be the ultimate in birdy fast food. Most birds have to spend the entire day searching for food and eating. (Flying takes a lot of energy.) Hoatzins have leaves all around them in their lush, tropical habitat. As a result, it only takes hoatzins about an hour a day to find and eat the food they need.

What does a hoatzin do with its spare time? "It sits for quite long periods, which is unusual for a bird," Grajal says.