Hoopoe (Birds)

ORDER

Coraciiformes

FAMILY

Upupidae

GENUS & SPECIES

Upupa epops
Hoopoe

KEY FEATURES

• A colorful, medium-I sized perching bird
that lives in warm |. grassland and lightly wooded areas
• Probes for and snaps up insects with its long, slender bill
• Fans its elegant crest when nervous, and during displays
• Female lays her eggs in a tree hole directly on the ground, or even underground

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Breeds throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and from northwestern Africa across much of southern and central Europe to southern Asia and China; birds in some areas migrate south for the winter
tmp44-134_thumb


Lifecycle

With its adorned head, the hoopoe looks like a pickax in action as it probes the ground for its insect prey. In the trees, it displays acrobatic grace as it gleans the foliage.

HABITAT

An adaptable bird that thrives in a wide variety of habitats, the hoopoe prefers warm areas. It favors open, level land with scattered trees or tree-lined streams and rivers, which provide nesting and roosting sites as well as cover from predators.
In Asia, the hoopoe is a bird of wooded plains, river valleys, foothills and glades in scattered pine- and oakwoods. Its European haunts include vineyards, olive groves, orchards and open country with mature trees, and the bird is most common in warmer, drier regions. The hoopoe tends to avoid dense, forested areas and, in Africa, is generally absent from coastal West Africa and the vast expanses of the equatorial Congo Basin. It is, however, common and widespread throughout the rest of-the continent, frequenting woodland and savannah habitats and regularly invading suburban gardens.
Branching out Woodland trees provide shade, nest sites and perches for hoopoes.
 Branching out Woodland trees provide shade, nest sites and perches for hoopoes.

CONSERVATION

Hoopoe numbers have declined in northern Europe due to the increased use of pesticides on farmland. These toxins reduce the food for insect-eating birds and also enter the food chain, slowly poisoning adult birds and their young.

FOOD & FEEDING

The hoopoe searches for its food on bare or sparsely covered ground. It also uses its long, sharp bill to probe for prey, jabbing the ground as it walks along. Strong muscles allow the bird to open its beak while probing underground. In places where game and livestock occur, the hoopoe probes dung and even carrion in search of insects and their larvae.The bird also uses its bill to drum on wood, probably to disturb hidden insects.
The hoopoe eats a wide variety of prey from maggots, mole crickets, beetles, wasps and grasshoppers to spiders, centipedes, snails and even frogs, toads, small snakes and lizards. Before swallowing large prey items, the bird often stuns them by battering them on the ground. It regurgitates the indigestible parts of insects, such as legs, wingcases and thorax pieces, in the form of a small pellet.
tmp44-136_thumb

BEHAVIOR

With his head bowed, neck inflated and crest lowered, the male hoopoe sings his soft but resonant hoop-hoop-hoop call from a treetop, sometimes for hours, in the hope of attracting a mate. He defends his territory against other males, and drawn-out “song duels” often occur as rivals attempt to outdo each other Fights also break out in which two birds stand breast to breast, with raised crests, and wrestle with their bills while fluttering their feathers.
The hoopoe’s striking cinnamon plumage and slow, erratic flight — reminscent of a large butterfly — make it an easy target for predators. It is the favorite prey of the sooty and Eleanora’s falcons. However, its striking black-and-white wingbars may actually help to break up the bird’s outline as is flies for cover when alarmed.
In the north of its range, the hoopoe moves from summer breeding grounds to winter feeding grounds in sub-Saharan Africa or southern Asia.
► Landing gear When it comes into land after flying, the hoopoe holds its crest upright.

A BILL FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Stabbed to death...
Stabbed to death…
The hoopoe easily deals with large prey-items. On spotting a lizard, the bird repeatedly pecks it on the head until it is dead.
 Ripped to pieces...
Ripped to pieces…
Using its bill as a precision tool, the-hoopoe tears off the lizard’s tail and tosses it into the air before swallowing it.
Drill-like bill...
Drill-like bill…
The hoopoe also finds food in the ground. Keeping its bill steady and moving its body around, the bird digs to unearth a tasty grub.
Acrobatic moves
Acrobatic moves
The hoopoe can hang from a branch while searching for insects under leaves.
tmp44-141_thumb

BREEDING

The male hoopoe courts a female by running around her with his wings partly opened. He also “kisses” her by repeatedly inserting his closed bill into her open mandibles. The hoopoe nests in a tree hole, a termite mound or a crevice in a building or old wall, which it often lines with grass, moss or leaves. But if such sites are not available, the female lays her eggs among stones or rocks, tree roots or even underground.
The female lays 7-8 speckled eggs that vary in color from buff to pale blue. She incubates them for about 18 days, while the male feeds her The female stays with the chicks for about a week, then she helps the male gather insect larvae forthem.The young fledge after 3-4 weeks.
A Noisy brood Chicks demand food by making a hissing noise.
A Noisy brood Chicks demand food by making a hissing noise.
Unlike most birds, the hoopoe allows its nest to become smelly. This keeps predators at bay.
The hoopoe has been seen at an altitude of 21,000′ in the Himalayas, while migrating between its breeding grounds and winter quarters.
The male hoopoe’s song has a pure tone and sounds like the noise that is made by blowing into a bottle.

PROFILE

Hoopoe

With its striking plumage both at rest and in flight, its graceful crest and slender bill, the hoopoe is one of Europe’s most exotic-looking birds.
Hoopoe

CREATURE COMPARISONS

The scimitar-billed wood-hoopoe (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas) shares much of its crested cousin’s African range. Common in dry thornbush savannah and open broad-leaved woodland, the scimitar-billed wood-hoopoe also builds its nest in tree holes created by woodpeckers and tree-burrowing animals. It too is an acrobatic bird, hanging upside down from branches to probe for food with its long, down-curved bill. Like the hoopoe, it feeds almost entirely on insects and larvae, and its long tail feathers help it balance as it forages in the trees. The scimitar-billed wood-hoopoe has a high, whistling call.
tmp44-144_thumb

VITAL STATISTICS
Weight 1.75-3 lbs.
Length About 11″
Wingspan 17-19″
Sexual I Maturity 1 year
Breeding – Season Varies by region
Number of Eggs 4-10; usually 7 or 8
Incubation
Period
15-16 days
Fledging Period 26-29 days
Typical Diet Mainly insects including pupae and.’.. larvae; spiders, centipedes, small lizards and snakes
Lifespan Unknown

RELATED SPECIES

• The hoopoe is the sole member of genus Upupa, the only genus in the family Upupidae. , Its closest relatives are the 8 species of wood-hoopoe, including the red-billed wood-hoopoe (below) and the white-headed wood-hoopoe, in the family Phoeniculidae.
tmp44-145_thumb

Next post:

Previous post: