Hoatzin: A Bird with Claws - Creation Moments

Genesis 1:20

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”

The eight classes of vertebrates are, to creationists, a classification of convenience. We do not suppose, for example, that all members of the aves class (birds) have a common ancestor.

So when creationists are faced with a bird like the hoatzin, they are not confused by it. Evolutionists, in contrast, have tremendous problems with the hoatzin because it has a number of properties which not only differ from birds, but are reminiscent of reptiles. Yet, it is clearly all bird and not a supposed surviving dinosaur. For example, hoatzin chicks have claws on the end of their wings. These are used so that the young birds can climb up trees in order to launch themselves on short flights. Fossil evidence shows that archaeopteryx – which evolutionists now insist must be a feathered dinosaur and not a bird – had the same type of claws on its wings.

Another fascinating difference between hoatzin and other birds is that it is nearly completely vegetarian. Its diet consists mostly of leaves, but these could not be digested in large quantities by other birds because of their high cellulose content. However, the digestive system of the hoatzin seems to work in a manner very similar to that of a cow. The larger-than-normal crop contains digestive bacteria which begin the process of fermentation before the leaves reach the bird’s stomach.

All in all, this bird appears well designed by God for its life and behavior.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the tremendous and exciting variety of animals that You have created. Amen.

Author: Paul F. Taylor

Ref: Sanders, H.F., Hoatzin Bird: Evidence Against Evolutionary Ideas, < https://answersingenesis.org/birds/hoatzin-bird-evidence-against-evolutionary-ideas/ >, accessed 5/31/2019. Image: CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic.