Hoopoe

The hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a “once seen never forgotten” bird that is a rare visitor to Britain but is much more common in continental Europe. European populations leave for winter quarters in tropical Africa in September, returning to their breeding grounds in April. The appearance of this bird certainly makes one think of exotic Africa rather than rainy England! The British visitors, in the far south of England, probably arrived by mistake as individuals that were blown off course when migrating north, and it is almost unknown for them to breed here.

Appearance

The hoopoe is 27-29 centimetres (11 inches) in length, which is about the same size as a large thrush. It has pinky-brown plumage on the head and body, but the large oval wings are boldly striped in black and white. The broad square tail is black with a white bar across it. The bill is long, pointed and curved. However, its most distinctive feature is the crest on its head which, at rest, forms a hammer shape extending behind the head, but when raised forms a huge fan of pinky-brown feathers tipped with black. The fan can be raised at any time of excitement or alarm and not just as part of a mating display. Unlike many birds that have exotic “display equipment”, in the hoopoe this is not a feature restricted to male birds, as males and females are very similar in appearance in all respects.

Behaviour

The hoopoe’s flight is lazy and jerky, with the wings closed between beats. Birds will perch on walls and branches of trees. The call is a low, but carrying, “hoo-hoo-hoo”, which accounts for the hoopoe’s name.

Hoopoes like to settle in open countryside such as meadows near ponds and lakes, and also light, deciduous woodland.

Breeding and feeding

The nest is usually built in a tree hollow, sometimes as high as six metres above the ground, but hoopoes will also nest on the ground among rocks. A clutch of six or seven eggs is laid in May or June. The female starts to incubate as soon as the first egg is laid, which means that the chicks hatch in sequence, each egg taking up to 20 days for incubation.

In many bird species this would be a distinct disadvantage to the younger chicks, which would be smaller and thus likely to be pushed aside in the struggle to be fed. However, this is not so with the hoopoe, which has developed an unusual feeding system. During the 25 or so days of feeding at the nest by the parents, the nestlings wait in turn to be fed. Once they have been given their food, each chick will move to the back of the queue, leaving the way clear for the next in line. In this way, it is not just the biggest chicks that get all the food. Despite hoopoes not being British breeding birds, they appear to have acquired some very British ways of going about things!

The food in question consists of insects and larvae, which it gathers by using its long bill to probe into the soil or animal droppings. It will also take spiders and other small creatures from the surface.

© John Welford