Distribution ofUpupa species Eurasian hoopoe (breeding) Eurasian hoopoe (resident) Eurasian hoopoe (wintering) Madagascar hoopoe African hoopoe
TheEurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of the genusUpupa. 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. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop".
The Eurasian hoopoe is native toEurope,Asia andAfrica. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. Some ornithologists consider theMadagascar hoopoes as asubspecies. The African hoopoe, subspeciesU. e. africana, has sometimes been treated as a separate species.
Eightsubspecies are recognised.[6] The subspecies vary in size and the depth of colour in theplumage. The subspeciesU. e. africana, the African hoopoe, is the most distinctive and has sometimes been considered as a separate species.[7] A further subspecies has been proposed:U. e. orientalis in northwestern India.[8]
U. e. epops inGalicia, Spain.Hoopoes seen in Tenerife in July 2021The muscles of the head allow the hoopoe's bill to be opened when it is inserted into the ground
The Eurasian hoopoe is a medium-sized bird, 25–32 cm (9.8–12.6 in) long, with a 44–48 cm (17–19 in) wingspan. It weighs 46–89 g (1.6–3.1 oz).[8] The species is highly distinctive, with a long, thin taperingbill that is black with a fawn base. The strengthenedmusculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. The hoopoe has broad and rounded wings capable of strong flight; these are larger in the northernmigratory subspecies. The hoopoe has a characteristic undulatingflight, which is like that of a giantbutterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats.[8] Adults may begin their moult after the breeding season and continue after they have migrated for the winter.[9]
The call is typically a trisyllabicoop-oop-oop, which may give rise to its English and scientific names, although two and four syllables are also common. An alternative explanation of the English and scientific names is that they are derived from the French name for the bird,huppée, which means crested. In the Himalayas, the calls can be confused with that of theHimalayan cuckoo (Cuculus saturatus), although the cuckoo typically produces four notes. Other calls include rasping croaks, when alarmed, and hisses. Females produce a wheezy note duringcourtship feeding by the male.[10]
The Eurasian hoopoe is widespread in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and northern Sub-Saharan Africa.[8] Most European and north Asian birdsmigrate to the tropics in winter.[11] Those breeding in Europe usually migrate to theSahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa.[12][13] The birds predominantly migrate at night.[14] In contrast, the African populations are sedentary all year. The species has been avagrant inAlaska;[15]U. e. saturata was recorded there in 1975 in theYukon Delta.[16] Hoopoes have been known to breed north of their European range,[17] and in southern England during warm, dry summers that provide plenty of grasshoppers and similar insects,[18] although as of the early 1980s northern European populations were reported to be in the decline, possibly due to changes in climate.[17] In 2015, a record numbers of hoopoes were recorded inIreland, with at least 50 birds recorded in the southwest of the country.[19] This was the highest recorded number since 1965 when 65 individuals were sighted.[20]
The hoopoe has two basic requirements of its habitat: bare or lightly vegetated ground on which to forage and vertical surfaces with cavities (such as trees, cliffs or even walls, nestboxes, haystacks, and abandoned burrows[17]) in which to nest. These requirements can be provided in a wide range of ecosystems, and as a consequence the hoopoe inhabits a wide range of habitats such asheathland, wooded steppes,savannas andgrasslands, as well as forest glades.
Hoopoes make seasonal movements in response to rain in some regions such as in Ceylon and in the Western Ghats.[21] Birds have been seen at high altitudes during migration across theHimalayas. One was recorded at about 6,400 m (21,000 ft) by the first Mount Everest expedition.[10]
In what was long thought to be a defensive posture, hoopoes sunbathe by spreading out their wings and tail low against the ground and tilting their head up; they often fold their wings and preen halfway through.[22] They also enjoy taking dust and sand baths.[23]
The diet of the Eurasian hoopoe is mostly composed ofinsects, although smallreptiles,frogs and plant matter such asseeds andberries are sometimes taken as well. It is a solitary forager which typically feeds on the ground. More rarely they will feed in the air, where their strong and rounded wings make them fast and manoeuvrable, in pursuit of numerous swarminginsects. More commonly their foraging style is to stride over relatively open ground and periodically pause to probe the ground with the full length of their bill. Insect larvae,pupae andmole crickets are detected by the bill and either extracted or dug out with the strong feet. Hoopoes will also feed on insects on the surface, probe into piles of leaves, and even use the bill to lever large stones and flake off bark. Common diet items includecrickets,locusts,beetles,earwigs,cicadas,ant lions, bugs and ants. These can range from 10 to 150 mm (3⁄8 to5+7⁄8 in) in length, with a preferred prey size of around20–30 mm (3⁄4–1+1⁄8 in). Larger prey items are beaten against the ground or a preferred stone to kill them and remove indigestible body parts such as wings and legs.[8]
Young and mature hoopoe in Dubai parkHoopoe eggs inMHNT
The hoopoe genus ismonogamous, although the pair bond apparently only lasts for a single season, andterritorial. The male calls frequently to advertise his ownership of the territory. Chases and fights between rival males (and sometimes females) are common and can be brutal.[8] Birds will try to stab rivals with their bills, and individuals are occasionally blinded in fights.[24] The nest is in a hole in a tree or wall, and has a narrow entrance.[23] It may be unlined, or various scraps may be collected.[17] The female alone is responsible forincubating the eggs.Clutch size varies with location: Northern Hemisphere birds lay more eggs than those in the Southern Hemisphere, and birds at higher latitudes have larger clutches than those closer to the equator. In central and northern Europe and Asia the clutch size is around 12, whereas it is around four in the tropics and seven in the subtropics. The eggs are round and milky blue when laid, but quickly discolour in the increasingly dirty nest.[8] They weigh 4.5 g (0.16 oz).[22] A replacement clutch is possible.[17]
Theincubation period for the species is between 15 and 18 days, during which time the male feeds the female. Incubation begins as soon as the first egg is laid, so the chicks are born asynchronously. The chicks hatch with a covering ofdowny feathers. By around day three to five, feather quills emerge which will become the adult feathers. The chicks are brooded by the female for between 9 and 14 days.[8] The female later joins the male in the task of bringing food.[23] The youngfledge in 26 to 29 days and remain with the parents for about a week more.[17] Hoopoes show hatching asynchrony of eggs which is thought to allow forbrood reduction when food availability is low.[25]
Hoopoes have well-developed anti-predator defences in the nest. Theuropygial gland of the incubating and brooding female is quickly modified to produce a foul-smelling liquid, and the glands of nestlings do so as well. These secretions are rubbed into the plumage. The secretion, which smells like rotting meat, is thought to help deter predators, as well as deter parasites and possibly act as an antibacterial agent.[26] Recent evidence suggests that the secretions may vary in composition depending on the microbiological composition of the female's uropygial gland; furthermore, the secretions may have an impact on the color of eggs, serving as an indicator of antimicrobial health for the adults during incubation. The secretions stop soon before the young leave the nest.[22] From the age of six days, nestlings can also direct streams of faeces at intruders, and will hiss at them in a snake-like fashion.[8] The young also strike with their bill or with one wing.[22]
The diet of the Eurasian hoopoe includes many species considered by humans to bepests, such as the pupae of theprocessionary moth, a damaging forest pest.[27] For this reason the species is afforded protection under the law in many countries.[8]
Hoopoes are distinctive birds and have made a cultural impact over much of their range. They were considered sacred inAncient Egypt, and were "depicted on the walls of tombs and temples". During the Old Kingdom, the hoopoe was used in the iconography as a symbolic code to indicate the child was the heir and successor of his father.[28] They achieved a similar standing inMinoan Crete.[22]
In theTorah,Leviticus 11:13–19, hoopoes were listed among the animals that are unclean and should not be eaten. They are also listed inDeuteronomy 14:18[29] as notkosher.
The hoopoe also appears in theQuran and is known as the "Hudhud" (هدهد), in Surah Al-Naml 27:20–22: "And heSolomon sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent? (20) I verily will punish him with hard punishment or I verily will slay him, or he verily shall bring me a plain excuse. (21) But he [the hoopoe] was not long in coming, and he said: I have found out (a thing) that thou apprehendest not, and I come unto thee fromSheba with sure tidings."
Hoopoes were seen as a symbol of virtue inPersia. A hoopoe was a leader of the birds in the Persian book of poemsThe Conference of the Birds ("Mantiq al-Tayr" byAttar) and when the birds seek a king, the hoopoe points out that theSimurgh was the king of the birds.[30]
Hoopoes were thought of as thieves across much of Europe, and harbingers of war inScandinavia.[31] InEstonian tradition, hoopoes are strongly connected with death and theunderworld; their song is believed to foreshadow death for many people or cattle.[32]
The hoopoe is the king of the birds in theAncient Greek comedyThe Birds byAristophanes. InOvid'sMetamorphoses, book 6, KingTereus ofThrace rapesPhilomela, his wifeProcne's sister, and cuts out her tongue. In revenge, Procne kills their son Itys and serves him as a stew to his father. When Tereus sees the boy's head, which is served on a platter, he grabs a sword but just as he attempts to kill the sisters, they are turned into birds—Procne into aswallow and Philomela into anightingale. Tereus himself is turned into anepops (6.674), translated aslapwing by Dryden[33] andlappewincke (lappewinge) byJohn Gower in hisConfessio Amantis,[34] orhoopoe in A. S. Kline's translation.[35] The bird's crest indicates his royal status, and his long, sharp beak is a symbol of his violent nature. English translators and poets probably had thenorthern lapwing in mind, considering its crest.
The hoopoe was chosen as thenational bird of Israel in May 2008 in conjunction with the country's 60th anniversary, following a national survey of 155,000 citizens, outpolling thewhite-spectacled bulbul.[36][37] The hoopoe appears on the Logo of theUniversity of Johannesburg and is the official mascot of the University's sports. The municipalities ofArmstedt andBrechten, Germany, have hoopoes in their coats of arms.
In Morocco, hoopoes are traded live and as medicinal products in the markets, primarily in herbalist shops. This trade is unregulated and a potential threat to local populations[38]
Three CGI enhanced hoopoes, together with other birds collectively named "the tittifers", are often shown whistling a song in theBBC children's television seriesIn the Night Garden....[citation needed]
The Eurasian Hoopoe is listed as a species of "Least concern" by the IUCN. Despite the fact, the species has been in a continuous decline according to the organisation since 2008,[39] the causes being loss of habitat and over-hunting.
Hunting is of concern in southern Europe and Asia.[16]
In Europe, the hoopoe seems to have a stable population though it is threatened in several regions. The bird is considered extinct inSweden[40] and "needing active conservation" inPoland.[41] The species has recovered and stabilised in Switzerland; however, they remain vulnerable.[42]
^Mlodinow, S.G.; Pyle, P. (2024). Billerman, S.M.; Kirwan, G.M. (eds.)."Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), version 2.1".Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved8 March 2025.
^Martín-Vivaldi, Manuel; Palomino, José J.; Soler, Manuel (2004). "Strophe length in spontaneous songs predicts male response to playback in the HoopoeUpupa epops".Ethology.110 (5):351–362.doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2004.00971.x.
^Hildebrandt, B.; Schaub, M. (2018). "The effects of hatching asynchrony on growth and mortality patterns in Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops nestlings".Ibis.160 (1):145–157.doi:10.1111/ibi.12529.
^Battisti, A; Bernardi, M.; Ghiraldo, C. (2000). "Predation by the hoopoe (Upupa epops) on pupae ofThaumetopoea pityocampa and the likely influence on other natural enemies".Biocontrol.45 (3):311–323.doi:10.1023/A:1009992321465.S2CID11447864.
Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1985). "Upupa epops Hoopoe".Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. IV: Terns to Woodpeckers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 786–799.ISBN978-0-19-857507-8.
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