Short Description
The Eurasian hoopoe is about the size of a thrush. Its body is beige-orange in colour. Its wings have a black and white banded pattern with yellow inclusions. It has an erectable feather crest on its head. This is also patterned black and white towards the end. The tail is black with a white band.
Females are somewhat smaller and are duller in colour. However, they are otherwise very similar to the males.
Features
Eurasian hoopoe
Upupa epops
Body is beige-orang
Wings have a black and white banded pattern
Erectable feather crest on its head
In the city
The hoopoe is often found in heat-exposed, dry and not overgrown areas. It is not only often found in orchards and vineyards, but also thrives in urban areas that are no longer utilised. It can also be found in pine forests or very sparsely vegetated deciduous forests.
Fun Facts
The hoopoe is a migratory bird. From mid-July, but mainly in August, it migrates to its wintering grounds. These are located on the African continent below the Sahara.
Sections of the migration route to the wintering grounds, such as the Alps, the Mediterranean or the Sahara, are crossed by the animals. Other animals usually avoid these obstacles.
This species has a very special ‘trick’ to scare off enemies. When they spot a bird of prey and escape is no longer possible, they lie down on the ground in a special position. In this position, it is particularly difficult for the bird of prey to see its prey, as the hoopoe is so well disguised.
Chicks and young birds in the nest have another special defence tactic. They squirt their faeces out of the nest and produce a particularly foul-smelling secretion from their brush gland.
- Endangerment level Germany: endangered
Sources
Eurasian hoopoein Udaipur, Indien, Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_hoopoe_(Upupa_epops_epops)_Udaipur.jpg
_Udaipur.jpg){kind=link}
Eurasian hoopoe in flight, Mildeep, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eurasian-Hoopoe.jpg
Eurasian hoopoe, Ashkelon National Park, Israel., מינוזיג, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Upupa_epops.jpg
Seite „Wiedehopf“. In: Wikipedia – Die freie Enzyklopädie. Bearbeitungsstand: 5. April 2024, 14:17 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wiedehopf&oldid=243790203 (Abgerufen: 30. Juli 2024, 12:53 UTC)