On the river after dinner, strange southern stars emerge, the sky awhirl with Amazon bats, some only a couple of inches across, others seeming near the size of seagulls. The Amazon also holds strange species that don't exist anywhere else and have no relatives. This bird lives in the treetops over standing water and is about the size of a domestic chicken. It is not a picture of grace, flopping awkwardly around the treetops when approached. It is notable for having a two-chambered crop which it needs to digest leaves, somewhat in the way a cow digests grass.
Young hoatzins have hooks on their wings, reminiscent of prehistoric creatures.
When danger threatens, they bomb out of their nest and into the water below. When danger is past, hoatzins use their hooks to climb back up to the nest. Napo Camp has one feature of particular interest to our herbal gang. This is a garden of medicinal plants kept by an authentic Peruvian Indian shaman, Don Antonio Montero Pisco. We tour his garden and he explains the uses of the plants.