Eurasian Hoopoe

Birds Name	Eurasian hoopoe
Science Name	Upupa epops
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Bucerotiformes
Family	Upupidae
Genus	Upupa
Species	U.epops

The Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a medium-sized bird renowned for its striking crest and bold black-and-white wing pattern. It measures 25–32 cm from bill to tail tip, with a wingspan of 44–48 cm, and weighs about 46–89 . The plumage is warm cinnamon-orange on the head, neck and underparts, contrasting sharply with broad black-and-white bars on the wings and tail. A long, slender, down-curved bill (about the length of the head) is used for probing soil. When relaxed, the crested feathers lie flat; but when excited or alarmed, the hoopoe fans its crest in display, forming a halo of pointed feathers. Strong head musculature lets it wrench its bill open even when inserted into the ground. Both sexes appear similar, though females may be slightly duller; juveniles resemble females with shorter bills.

The hoopoe’s undulating flight has been likened to that of a giant butterfly. It typically emits a three-note “oop-oop-oop” call (its name likely imitates this sound). In addition to this mellow vocalization, hoopoes utter rasping croaks and can hiss softly when startled. They are largely silent when migrating. Hoopoes spend much of their day foraging on the ground: they walk a few steps, then tilt forward to probe soil, leaf litter or dung for insects. During foraging, one may observe them flicking their feathers or rump upwards, exposing dark wing patches – a possible camouflage or startling display against the pale substrate. They also enjoy dust-bathing and sunning with wings outspread, behaviors believed to help control parasites and maintain feather condition.

Taxonomy

The Eurasian Hoopoe belongs to the family Upupidae (the hoopoes) in the order Bucerotiformes. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Upupa epops, a name derived from its trilled call. Eight subspecies are recognized, differing mainly in size and hue. The nominate subspecies U. e. epops breeds across northwest Africa, Europe and into temperate Asia. Eastern Asia is home to U. e. saturata, which is slightly grayer on the back. In South Asia, U. e. ceylonensis is smaller and more rufous overall, lacking white in the crest. The African subspecies U. e. africana (sometimes treated as a separate species, the African Hoopoe) is darker rufous and exhibits greater sexual dimorphism. A further form, U. e. marginata (the Madagascar Hoopoe), found only in Madagascar, was split as a distinct species due to vocal and plumage differences.

Hoopoes have no close relatives outside Upupidae. (They were once placed with woodpeckers or kingfishers, but genetic studies group them with hornbills.) A useful comparison is with the African and Madagascar Hoopoes:

This table highlights that hoopoes share the signature crest and habitat types, but vary in size and color intensity among species. All are classified as Least Concern, but the Eurasian Hoopoe’s fate is tied to its vast range in Europe and Asia.

Distribution

The Eurasian Hoopoe is widespread across the Old World. It breeds throughout most of temperate Europe, parts of Asia, and across North Africa. Its range extends from Iberia and the Mediterranean basin east through Turkey and Central Asia, reaching as far as China. In South Asia it reaches northern India and Sri Lanka (as U. e. ceylonensis). Although not naturally a New World species, a few very rare vagrants have appeared: notably one was recorded in Alaska (Yukon Delta) in 1975. (For North American birders this is an extraordinary record – think of a hoopoe migrating across the Bering Sea!)

Within its range, hoopoes occupy diverse countries: from Ireland and Scotland in Europe, across Russia and Kazakhstan in Asia, to Morocco, Egypt and Israel in Africa. During warm breeding seasons, the species has even appeared in northern England and Ireland. In the Himalayan foothills hoopoes follow the valleys upward in summer. Globally, the species thrives in two hemispheres.

However, populations can be uneven. For example, the European breeding population is estimated at 1.3–2.76 million pairs (≈2.6–5.5 million mature individuals). The worldwide population is roughly 5–10 million birds, making it common in many parts of its range, though numbers are thought to be declining slowly. Its IUCN status is Least Concern due to its large range and numbers. We summarize available figures below:

This illustrates that while the hoopoe is plentiful globally, it is monitored for local declines due to changing land use.

Habitat

Eurasian Hoopoes favor open or semi-open landscapes with sparse vegetation and exposed ground. They commonly occur in open woodlands, savannas, grasslands, orchards, vineyards and parkland. Habitats with short turf or bare patches (pastures, fallow fields) allow hoopoes to reach insects easily. They also adapt to farmland, gardens, and even suburban parks, provided there are lawn-like areas and old trees or walls with cavities.

Key habitat features include:

• Foraging grounds: Hoopoes require bare or lightly vegetated soil where they can probe for prey. They thrive in warm, temperate climates (open Mediterranean scrub, parklands) and tolerate semi-arid steppes.

• Nesting sites: Vertical cavities are critical. These may be in hollow trees, rock crevices, mud walls, or old buildings. Unlike many birds, hoopoes will nest even in urban areas if suitable cavities exist.

• Climate: The species prefers warm regions with abundant insects in summer. Wintering hoopoes choose low-altitude, mild areas (southern Europe, tropical Africa) where food is available year-round.

It will rarely enter dense forest or thick shrub: hoopoes need visibility for spotting prey and wide-open skies to fly. In mountainous regions, they favor open alpine meadows below about 2,000 m, though migrating individuals have been seen remarkably high (one was recorded flying near 6,400 m on Everest’s slopes).

Behavior

Eurasian Hoopoes are diurnal, solitary insectivores. Outside the breeding season they usually forage alone, walking on the ground. They hold their crest flattened along the head (a slight loose fan of feathers) when relaxed, and may raise it fully as a threat or courtship display.

They are fiercely territorial during breeding. Males call constantly from exposed perches to advertise ownership. When rivals approach, aerial chases and combat can ensue: rivals point their bills sharply and may even attempt to strike one another. It is not uncommon for fights to end in an opponent being blinded or wounded by a bill stab. This aggression underscores how precious good territories (with food and nest cavities) are for hoopoes.

When content, hoopoes exhibit charming preening and bathing habits. They frequently take dust baths, tossing dirt over their backs with open wings to dislodge parasites. They also sunbathe by leaning far back, wings drooped, belly toward the sun – a posture once thought defensive. These behaviors keep feathers in good condition and may help deter mites.

Their flight is distinctive: broad, rounded wings allow powerful flapping followed by a graceful glide, creating a dip-and-rise pattern. Observers have likened the flight to a giant butterfly or a small bustard in silhouette. Hoopoes usually fly alone or in pairs; in migration, however, they may form loose flocks.

Hoopoes are mute except when calling or alarmed. Outside their gentle “oop-oop-oop” call, they remain silent while searching for food. If threatened near the nest, an incubating or brooding female can hissing like a snake, and nestlings will cough and smack their bills.

Feeding

The hoopoe is primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide array of ground-dwelling invertebrates. Its diet includes beetles (scarabs, dung beetles, ground beetles), grasshoppers, crickets, locusts, earwigs, cicadas, and various larvae and pupae. It also takes ants and the larvae of ant-lions. Beetles are a major part of the diet; hoopoes will flip over rotten logs or even canvas shoe straps to reach larvae. On rare occasions, they swallow small vertebrates (like skinks, tree frogs) or scavenge dead mice. Berries, seeds or plant matter are only eaten opportunistically.

Their long, sensitive bill is well adapted to probing soil and leaf litter. A typical feeding sequence is: perch or stand, visually locate prey, then step forward and insert the bill tip into the ground or into cracks. Unlike some birds, hoopoes do not usually hammer prey on rocks to break them (though they will flick larger prey to remove indigestible parts). Often they simply carry a catch back to the nest whole (especially large beetles or grasshoppers).

The following table summarizes their diet by category:

Feeding typically occurs on the ground, but hoopoes will also perch on low branches or fence posts to scan for prey movement. They prefer short vegetation or tilled soil where insects are exposed, and will forage intensively in recently plowed fields. Throughout its range, the hoopoe often follows ploughs or burns, finding fleeing insects.

Breeding

Eurasian Hoopoes breed in spring through summer (typically April–September in Europe). They are serially monogamous: pairs form each season and often reuse the same nesting territory year to year. Both sexes vigorously defend their area. The male performs display flights (crest raised, wings drooping) and calls to attract a mate; if multiple males court a female, they may fight until one wins her attention.

Nests are in cavities. Preferred sites include hollow trees, crevices in sandstone cliffs, rock cavities, termite nests (in Africa), rabbit burrows, or even man-made structures like old buildings and fence posts. The entrance holes tend to be narrow, which helps conceal the nest from predators. Hoopoes do not line the nest with typical soft materials; it is often left bare or filled with scraps (feathers, grasses) and rapidly becomes foul-smelling as nesting progresses.

The typical clutch size is 4–12 eggs, often 7 or 8, laid a few days apart. Clutch size tends to be larger in southern Europe and smaller in the north. Eggs are smooth, bluish-white and measure about 28×23 mm. The female alone incubates the eggs for about 15–18 days. During incubation, the male brings food to the female at the nest.

Hatching is asynchronous: chicks hatch one by one over several days. Newly-hatched young are covered with black down; their eyes open in about 4–6 days. For roughly the first two weeks, the female broods the chicks continuously to keep them warm, while the male forages for insects to feed her and the young. After 9–14 days, the chicks grow quills and develop insulating feathers. At this point the female joins the male in hunting.

Fledging occurs at about 26–29 days after hatching. Even after leaving the nest, the young may be fed by the parents for another week or so before becoming fully independent. Hoopoe parents are known to forage intensively during this time, making hundreds of food deliveries each day.

The table below summarizes key breeding parameters:

The last row highlights a unique adaptation: breeding hoopoes have powerful anti-predator defenses. The preen gland of the incubating female produces a bitter, malodorous fluid that she spreads on her feathers and eggs. Nestlings also have an uropygial gland that exudes a similarly nasty scent. This smell (like rotting meat) is believed to deter mammalian predators and parasites. By about day 6, nestlings can also direct streams of feces at intruders and hiss menacingly, even striking with their wings or bills if disturbed. This suite of defenses makes the otherwise open nest surprisingly secure.

Threats and Conservation

Currently the Eurasian Hoopoe is not globally endangered, but populations face pressures. The main threats are:

• Habitat loss and degradation: Conversion of traditional grasslands, orchards and woodlands to intensive agriculture or urban development removes foraging grounds and nesting trees. Loss of old trees and deadwood especially reduces cavity availability.

• Pesticide use: Widespread insecticide application in agricultural areas reduces the abundance of the hoopoe’s prey. A decline in insects can lead to fewer breeding attempts and lower chick survival.

• Hunting and persecution: In parts of its range, hoopoes are still trapped or shot (sometimes because of superstitions or to protect crops). This is generally local but can impact small populations.

• Disturbance and nest-site loss: Renovation of old buildings, removal of fruiting trees, or simply human intrusion near nest cavities can cause nest failures.

• Climate change (potential): Altered weather patterns could affect insect prey availability or migrate timing, although specific effects on hoopoes are not yet well documented.

The table below outlines these threats along with conservation responses:

Many countries within the hoopoe’s range legally protect it (often under general bird protection laws). Conservation efforts focus on preserving suitable habitat. For example, in parts of Europe and Israel, installing nest boxes and leaving dead wood have helped local populations. Public awareness (especially in rural areas) is crucial: hoopoes help control pests by eating large numbers of insects. Some communities now value them as part of cultural heritage (see below), which can aid their protection.

Migration

Eurasian Hoopoes exhibit partial migration. Populations in the northern and eastern parts of the range migrate to warmer regions in winter, while those in milder climates remain resident. Broadly:

• Europe & Northern Asia: Breeding birds from central and northern Europe, as well as north Asia, undertake long-distance migrations. They fly to sub-Saharan Africa each autumn, especially the Sahel belt just south of the Sahara. The journey (often done at night) can be thousands of kilometers. Many funnel through the Middle East: millions pass through Israel’s Rift Valley in spring and fall.

• Central/Western Asia: Eastern breeders move to tropical South Asia or remain within southern Asia during winter. For instance, birds breeding in Turkey or Iran often winter in India or Southeast Asia.

• North Africa and Mediterranean: Populations in southern Europe and North Africa tend to be partly migratory. Some will move south a few hundred kilometers during cold spells, but many spend winter in Mediterranean countries (Spain, Italy, Morocco) if winters are mild. In general, as the climate warmed in recent decades, more hoopoes have stayed further north in winter than before.

• Tropical Africa: Resident populations (including U. africana in subsaharan Africa) do not migrate, moving only locally with rain and food.

• Vagrants: On rare occasions, individual hoopoes wander far out of range. The only North American record (1975, Alaska) was likely an overshooting migrant.

This table summarizes migration by region:

Even migrating hoopoes don’t form large compact flocks like geese; instead, they move in scattered groups of a few to several birds, stopping often in grasslands or agricultural fields to refuel.

Cultural Significance and Unique Adaptations

The hoopoe has played a prominent role in human culture across its range. Folklore and symbolism vary widely:

Notably, King Solomon’s story in Hebrew lore mentions a hoopoe guiding him to the Queen of Sheba. While not in our citations, the bird is also celebrated in poetry and literature from Europe to China for its distinctive crown and exotic appearance.

Beyond its cultural aura, the hoopoe possesses unique biological adaptations. We have discussed its nest defenses (foul-smelling fluids and hissing chicks). Another remarkable trait is its ability to dig and prey on large soil insects: a hoopoe has enough bill-strength and neck muscle to wrench a root out of the ground. The crest itself, often raised like a fiery fan, serves as a visual signal during courtship and intimidation.

In some populations, hoopoes also line their nest with aromatic herbs (sagebrush, juniper) – a form of self-medication thought to deter parasites (though this behavior is more noted in African species, it has been observed in Eurasian ones too). Their tendency to flutter their wings on low perches might also flush out hidden insects.

Conclusion

The Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a vividly colored, charismatic bird that embodies a bridge between wild landscapes and human tradition. For birders, its unmistakable silhouette and flaring crown are a sight to treasure. Scientifically, its complex life history – from long-distance migrations to bizarre nest defenses – offers rich material for study. Conservationists see it as an indicator of healthy open habitats.

In writing this, we see the hoopoe through data and story alike: millions strong globally, yet reliant on the old orchards and rough pastures that are disappearing. It reminds us how a single species can tie together continents (Europe and Africa), ecosystems (farmland and savanna), and even peoples (echoing through folklore). Protecting hoopoes means protecting the mosaic of warm, open places they need – a goal that benefits many other creatures and, ultimately, the human communities that cherish them.