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Leaf-eating birds

The white-backed mouse-bird of South Africa starts to eat leaves early in the morning. Then it basks for hours, pointing its belly towards the sun to aid in digestion. The hoatzin of South America, however, is the most specialised leaf-eater of the birds. It has two compartments to its stomach, like a cow, one of which contains bacteria to help ferment the leaves. That bulky stomach makes it a clumsy flyer.

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