Birds In Paradise

He looks like a punk rocker… but he’s really a living fossil.

Meet the hoatzin—one of the strangest birds on Earth. Found only in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, this prehistoric-looking bird smells like manure, hisses like a reptile, and feeds its chicks a leafy diet no other bird can digest.

But here’s the real kicker: baby hoatzins are born with claws on their wings. When danger strikes, they leap from the nest into water, swim to safety, then climb back up the tree using those claws—like a feathered dinosaur comeback tour.

From its blue, lizard-like face to that wild mohawk crest, the hoatzin isn’t just bizarre—it’s a reminder that evolution doesn’t always follow the rules. It rewrites them.

Nature's weirdest rebel. And it’s proud of it.

Oh no! You’ve found a baby bird on the ground, apparently alone and in distress. Its tiny chirps may pull at your heartstrings, but stopping and assessing the situation is essential. Here’s our guide on how and when to assist baby birds: https://bit.ly/3HdXnX0

These two cuties are baby little blue penguins that I photographed at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The smallest of all penguin species, adults measure in at approximately one foot tall and weigh only two pounds. They are also the only penguins in the world to sport blue and white feathers instead of the traditional black and white penguin “tuxedo”.

From filling our lives with beauty, to pollinating plants and controlling pests, birds make our lives better. Today, let's give thanks for the birds and all that they do for humankind. Find out more in our Question of the Week: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/analysis-the-economic-value-of-birds/