Issue 7 - Hoatzin
MONTHLY ART:
MY OWN KIND OF BEAUTIFUL - THE HOATZIN
When I began sketching out this month’s art about the hoatzin, I did not expect to feel this level of kinship toward this “cow-bird” by the time I was finished. Let me explain (and warning, this gets a little… TMI).
The Hoatzin is a gotcha of an inclusion in this year’s theme of recently extinct and living fossil species. Because this odd bird is often compared to feathered dinosaurs like Archaeopteryx for its size and the double claws the chicks hatch with and use until adulthood to climb around their forested habitat.
But a series of genetic testing has found, despite its prehistoric appearance, the Hoatzin’s family of Opisthocomidae (of which it is the only surviving member) is no more ancient than any other modern bird species. It only looks like it should be. What a disappointment!
On top of expectations and reality not meeting in the hoatzin, it has the unfortunate nicknames of yes, cowbird, but also “stinkbird”. Why?
Learn about more about hoatzins, expectations based on appearances, and unusual physical traits over at the Beastie and Bone Patreon:
www.patreon.com/beastieandbone
UPCOMING EVENTS:
3D Papercraft Butterflies and Moths Craft Event
Fable Hollow Bookshoppe
2910 Tazewell Pike, Suites A and B
Knoxville, TN
September 8th, 3-6pm (drop-in event)
3D Papercraft Butterflies and Moths Craft Event
Jerry’s Artarama
5220 Homberg Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919
September 19th, 1-3pm (drop-in event)
39th Annual Western Visions Art Show & Sale
National Museum of Wildlife Art
2820 Rungius Rd, Jackson, WY 83001
Exhibit on display September 5th - 27th
Reception and Closed Ticketed Sales - September 17th Get tickets here
Public Sales Online and In-Gallery September 18th - 27th
Order your copy of 3D Papercraft Butterflies and Moths now, or come to one of the craft nights to make a Monarch butterfly together and get your copy in person!
NATURAL HISTORY FACT:
While hoatzins are famous for their chicks hatching with vestigial (small, and temporary) claws that allow them to use their wings for climbing, they are not the only species to carry this trait. From ostriches to owls, banana-eating turacos to Australian brown falcons, wing claws are found the world over.
One group of species with this trait may surprise you: domesticated chickens!
RECOMMENDED:
The Last Days of The Dinosaurs by Riley Black
Combining detailed scientific information with a lush and compelling narrative structure, The Last Days of the Dinosaurs immerses you in the prehistoric habitat of the Hell’s Creek formation in Montana, and plays through the meteor impact that became the end of non-avian dinosaurs, the immediate aftereffects, and how the world changed since.
Learn more about The Last Days of The Dinosaurs at rileyblack.net
NEW IN:
RESTOCK! Paleoart from the new Cleverly Concealed full size linen-texture prints to the recycled paper miniprints of the popular fossils and florals line are replenished and ready to ship now!
Shop all sale, restocked, and new art and prints at beastieandbone.com
LAST CHANCE:
These retired Patreon exclusive prints and stickers are available publicly in the Beastie and Bone online shop only through the month of September!
Waning (left) - The Spanish Moon Moth, a beautiful, cold-loving living fossil species native to the alpine regions of Europe
The Same Sky (right) - The same moon has hung above those who came before us, and connects us all today, just as it has the many wolf subspecies of the North American continent past and present (including the Florida Black Wolf).
Prep for the Autumn 2026 collection is getting under way now, with inspiration drawn from late-summer experiences on the great plains and porchlight discoveries of moths, alike. Some of you may remember this loose sketch from a few years back — either way, enjoy it as a teaser of the aesthetic and mood the Autumn 2026 collection will bring!
DISCOUNT:
Monthly discounts are exclusive to those who receive the print version of The Beastie and Bone Snippet though the B+B Happy Mail Club or select tiers of the B+B Patreon.