African Hoopoe

The African Hoopoe is a striking, unmistakable bird found across much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is closely related to, and by some authorities considered a subspecies of, the widespread Eurasian Hoopoe, but is treated as a distinct resident species (or subspecies) by many taxonomic authorities, occupying open country year-round.

Appearance

• Warm cinnamon-pink body plumage
• Bold black-and-white barred wings and tail, striking in flight
• Long, thin, downcurved black bill
• Prominent erectile crest of cinnamon feathers broadly tipped in black, fanned open when excited or alarmed
• Sexes look similar

Key field marks

• Cinnamon body with dramatic black-and-white barred wings, unmistakable in flight
• Fan-shaped crest, often held flat but raised into a striking crown when alert
• Long, slender, curved bill used for probing the ground
• Distinctive floppy, undulating flight showing the bold wing pattern

Similar species

• No other African bird shares this combination of features; the African Hoopoe is essentially unmistakable within its range
• The closely related Eurasian Hoopoe (migrant subspecies present in parts of Africa in winter) is very similar in appearance but tends to look slightly paler/greyer on the breast; range and season help separate resident African birds from migrant visitors where both occur

Range

Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, from the Sahel south through East and southern Africa, generally absent from dense rainforest and extreme desert.

Habitat

Favors open woodland, savanna, farmland, parks, and gardens with short grass or bare ground for foraging, along with trees or cavities for nesting.

Migration

Mostly resident, though some populations show local nomadic movements linked to rainfall and food availability; it should not be confused with Eurasian Hoopoes that migrate into parts of Africa in the northern winter.

Voice

A soft, resonant, repeated "hoo-hoo-hoo" or "oop-oop-oop," often given at dawn, which gives the hoopoe family its name.

Feeding

Forages on the ground, walking with a jerky gait and probing soil, leaf litter, and animal dung with its long bill to extract insect larvae, beetles, and other invertebrates.

Nesting and breeding

Nests in a natural tree cavity, old woodpecker or barbet hole, or occasionally a hole in a wall or bank; the female incubates alone while the male feeds her, and the nest is known for a strong odor produced by a preen gland secretion thought to deter predators.