The Eurasian hoopoe is a distinctive medium-sized bird found across much of Europe, Asia and Africa, unmistakable for its pinkish-brown plumage, black-and-white barred wings and tail, long thin curved bill and a large fan-shaped crest of feathers that it can raise and lower at will. It forages mainly on open ground, probing soil and leaf litter with its long bill for insects, larvae and other invertebrates, and its flight is distinctively floppy and butterfly-like due to its broad, rounded wings. Hoopoes nest in cavities in trees, walls or rocks, and famously produce a foul-smelling secretion during the nesting period that is thought to help protect eggs and young from predators and parasites. The species has held cultural significance for thousands of years, appearing in ancient Egyptian and Minoan art, and it is the national bird of Israel.
Facts
Classification
Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill). Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceIt is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. 1 Scientific Name Conservation Status Connections
Sources
1. Eurasian Hoopoe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationlead paragraph
It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill.
Conservation section
The Eurasian Hoopoe is listed as a species of "Least concern" by the IUCN.
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