Where does the hoopoe bird live. What does a hoopoe bird look like? Photos and interesting facts. Characteristic features of hoopoe. bird description

You can’t confuse the hoopoe with any other, it is so peculiar. The brightly colored bird has a characteristic tuft on its head, which it can fan out. The ends of the tuft are black, and it seems that there are sharp arrows on the head. The bird has black wings and a tail with wide white stripes, and the main color of the hoopoe is ocher-red. Longitudinal dark stripes on the sides of the body.

The bird itself is small in size, body length up to 30 cm, and weight, about 80 grams. The long beak, bent to the bottom, reaches a length of up to 5 cm. Strong legs have blunt claws. The wingspan is 46cm. Hoopoes live in open areas with rare shrubs and trees. It can be savannah, pasture or meadow.

They are also found on "delicious" plantations created by man: vineyards and orchards. They eat harmful insects, which are beneficial to humans. They even eat tarantula spiders. Thanks to a thin long but strong beak, he will get a bear out of the ground and peck it.

Hoopoes arrive early, when there is still snow, if we are talking about Europe. Males scream loudly, attracting the attention of females, and seek territory for themselves. When a pair is formed, they fly around the place where they plan to build a nest and mark it. The best and most secluded place is a hollow, but if there is none, then the female will lay her eggs on the ground among the stones.

You can’t call a hoopoe’s dwelling clean. In danger, the bird secretes a fetid green discharge from the coccygeal gland. Even chicks can secrete such a fragrant liquid. Who would want to feast on such "stinkers"? Once a year, offspring are bred. In laying from 4 to 9 eggs, the number depends on the location of the bird and the climate. One testicle weighs about 5 grams, and its color is varied: white, yellow, greenish, blue and even brown.

When the female sits on the eggs, the partner actively cares for her bird. He carefully carries food to the mother hen until the chicks hatch. The female lays one testicle per day, it turns out that she will lay eggs for only a week. And she will incubate, starting from the first day, somewhere around 25-30 days.

Newborn chicks are blind, but with sparse down. Any clothes. But the chicks know how to ruffle the crest, and look like a hedgehog. This is due to the fact that the feathers are covered in foam and are needles.

Parents feed their voracious children, bringing them worms and larvae. They themselves only open their beaks wide, and their parents literally push food into their mouths. Babies grow fast and get stronger, covered with feathers. It will take only 25 days, and they begin to learn to fly. Having risen on the wing, the chicks remain close to their parents for some time. The most interesting thing is that parents will feed their flying babies. The hoopoe is a shy bird and very cautious.

The hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a small and fairly brightly colored bird with a long narrow beak and a crest, sometimes wide open in the form of a fan. This species of birds belongs to the order Hornbills and the Hoopoe family (Upupidae).

Description of hoopoe

A small adult bird has a length of at least 25-29 cm with a standard wingspan of 44-48 cm. Due to its unusual appearance, hoopoe belongs to the category of the most easily recognizable birds.

Appearance

Representatives of the Hornbill order and the Hoopoe family are distinguished by the presence of a striped black and white plumage of the wings and tail, a long and rather thin beak, and a relatively long crest located in the head area. The color of the neck, head, and chest, depending on the subspecies, can vary from a pinkish tint to a brownish chestnut color.

Representatives of this species are distinguished by rather wide and rounded wings, very characteristically colored with contrasting whitish-yellow and black stripes. The tail is medium in length, black, with a wide white band in the middle. The belly area on the body is pinkish-red in color, with the presence of blackish longitudinal stripes on the sides.

It is interesting! During pagan times, the Chechens and Ingush considered hoopoes (“tushol-kotam”) to be sacred birds, symbolizing the goddess of fertility, spring and childbearing, Tusholi.

The crest in the head area has an orange-red color, with black feather tips. Usually, the crest of a bird is complex and has a length of 5-10 cm. However, in the process of landing, representatives of the Hornbill order and the Hoopoe family spread it up and like a fan. The beak of an adult bird is 4-5 cm long, slightly curved down.

The language, unlike so many other species of birds, is greatly reduced. The leg area is lead grey. The limbs of the bird are quite strong, with short metatarsus and blunt claws.

Lifestyle, behavior

On the surface of the earth, hoopoes move quickly and quite nimbly than they resemble. At the first signs of a sudden alarm, and also when the birds completely lack the opportunity to flee, such a feathered one is able to hide, nestling against the surface of the earth, spreading its tail and wings, and also lifting up the beak area.

At the stage of incubation of their offspring and feeding of chicks, adult birds and babies produce a specific oily liquid secreted by the coccygeal gland and has a sharp, very unpleasant odor. The release of such a liquid along with droppings is a kind of hoopoe protection from medium-sized terrestrial predators.

It was this characteristic feature of the bird that allowed it to become a very “unclean” creature in the eyes of a person. In flight, hoopoes are slow, fluttering like butterflies. However, such a representative of the order Hornbill and the Hoopoe family is quite maneuverable in flight, due to which feathered predators very rarely manage to grab it in the air.

How long does a hoopoe live

The average life expectancy of a hoopoe, as a rule, does not exceed eight years.

sexual dimorphism

Male hoopoes and females of this species in appearance do not have any significant differences from each other. Young birds belonging to the order Hornbill and the Hoopoe family, in general, have less saturated colors, are noticeably distinguished by a shorter beak, as well as a shortened crest.

Types of hoopoe

There are several subspecies of representatives of the Hornbill order and the Hoopoe family (Upupidae):

• Upupa epops epops, or Common Hoopoe, which is a nominative subspecies. It lives in Eurasia from the Atlantic and in the western part to the Scandinavian Peninsula, in the southern and central regions of Russia, in the Middle East, in Iran and Afghanistan, in the northwestern part of India and in the territory of northwestern China, as well as in the Canary Islands and in northwest Africa;
• the subspecies Upupa epops major is found in Egypt, northern Sudan and eastern Chad. It is currently the largest subspecies, has a longer beak, a grayish tint on the upper body and a narrow dressing strip in the tail area;
• Upupa epops senegalensis, or Senegalese hoopoe inhabits the territory of Algeria, arid belts of Africa from the territory of Senegal to Somalia and Ethiopia. This subspecies is the smallest form with relatively short wings and a significant amount of white on the secondary feathers;
• the subspecies Upupa epops waibeli is a typical inhabitant of Equatorial Africa from Cameroon and northern Zaire and west to Uganda. Representatives of the subspecies are very common in the eastern part of northern Kenya. In appearance, it resembles U. e. senegalensis, but differs in darker tones in color;
• Upupa epops africana, or African hoopoe settles in Equatorial and South Africa from the central part of Zaire to the center of Kenya. Representatives of this subspecies have a dark red plumage, without the presence of white stripes on the outer side of the wing. In males, secondary wings are distinguished by a white base;
• Upupa epops marginata, or Madagascar hoopoe is a representative of the birds of northern, western and southern Madagascar. In size, such a bird is noticeably larger than the previous subspecies, and is also distinguished by the presence of paler plumage and very narrow white stripes located on the wings;
• the subspecies Upupa epops saturata inhabits Eurasia from the southern and central regions of Russia to the eastern part of the Japanese islands, southern and central China. The size of this nominative subspecies is not too large. Representatives of the subspecies are distinguished by a slightly grayish plumage in the back area, as well as the presence of a less pronounced pinkish tint in the belly area;
• the subspecies Upupa epops ceylonensis lives in Central Asia south of Pakistan and northern India, in Sri Lanka. Representatives of this subspecies are smaller in size, in general they have a more red color, and the white color on the top of the crest is completely absent;
• the subspecies Upupa epops longirostris inhabits the Indian state of Asom, Indochina and Bangladesh, eastern and southern China, and the Malay Peninsula. The bird is larger in size than the nominate subspecies. Compared to the appearance of U. e. ceylonensis is paler in color and has relatively narrow white wing bands.

It is interesting! The most ancient group of birds, similar to modern hoopoes, is considered to be the long-extinct family Messelirrisoridae.

Even caught adult hoopoes of any subspecies are able to quickly get used to a person and do not fly away from him, but fully feathered chicks take root best of all at home.

Range, habitats

The hoopoe is an old world bird. On the territory of Eurasia, the bird has become widespread throughout, but in the western and northern parts it practically does not nest in the British Isles, Scandinavia, the Benelux countries, as well as the highlands of the Alps. In the Baltic States and Germany, hoopoes are sporadically distributed. In the European part, representatives of the genus nest south of the territory of the Gulf of Finland, Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl regions, as well as the republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan.

In the western part of Siberia, birds rise to a level of 56 ° N. sh., reaching Achinsk and Tomsk, and in the eastern part of the range around Lake Baikal, the Yuzhno-Muysky ridge of Transbaikalia and the Amur River basin. On the territory of continental Asia, hoopoes live almost everywhere, but avoid desert areas and continuous forest areas. Also, representatives of the Hoopoe family are found in Taiwan, the Japanese Islands and Sri Lanka. In the southeastern part they settle on the Malay Peninsula. There are cases of infrequent flights to Sumatra and the island part of Kalimantan. In Africa, the main range is located south of the Sahara region, and in Madagascar, hoopoes live in the more arid western part.

As a rule, hoopoes settle on plains or in hilly areas, where preference is given to open landscapes in the absence of tall grass, combined with the presence of individual trees or small groves. The largest population reaches in arid and warm regions. Representatives of the family actively settle in steppe ravines and meadows, settle near the edge or on the forest edge, live in river valleys and foothills, in shrubby coastal dunes.

Quite often, Hoopoe are found in landscapes used by people, including various pastures, vineyards or fruit plantations. Sometimes birds settle in settlements, where they feed on waste from garbage dumps. Birds prefer to avoid damp and low-lying areas, and to create nests they use hollow old trees, crevices among stones, holes in river cliffs, termite mounds, as well as depressions in stone buildings. The hoopoe is active only during daylight hours, and for the night it goes to any shelters suitable for such purposes.

Hoopoe diet

The basis of hoopoe nutrition is represented mainly by a variety of small-sized invertebrates:

• larvae and pupae of insects;
• may beetles;
• dung beetles;
• dead eaters;
• grasshoppers;
• butterflies;
• steppe fillies;
• flies;
• ants;
• termites;
• spiders;
• woodlice;
• centipedes;
• small clams.

Sometimes adult hoopoes are able to catch small frogs, as well as lizards and even snakes. The bird feeds only on the surface of the earth, looking for its prey among low grass or on soil bare from vegetation. The owner of a fairly long beak often picks in dung and garbage heaps, seeks out food in rotten wood or makes shallow holes in the ground.

It is interesting! Beetles that are too large in size are hollowed out by a hoopoe on the ground, broken into rather small pieces, and then eaten.

Quite often, representatives of the order Hornbill and the Hoopoe family accompany grazing livestock. The tongue of hoopoes is short, so such birds are sometimes simply not able to swallow prey directly from the ground. For this purpose, birds throw food into the air, after which they catch it and swallow it.

In contact with

It is widely distributed in the southern and central regions of Europe and Asia, as well as almost throughout Africa. The preferred habitat is an open area with sparse shrubs or trees, such as a savannah, meadow, or pasture. Also found in cultivated landscapes in orchards and vineyards. Cautious, but not shy - as a rule, avoids a person and flies away when he approaches. Spends a lot of time on the ground, hunting for insects.

The only member of the hoopoe family ( Upupidae), a detachment of crustaceans. The opinions of ornithologists about the systematic position of this species are very diverse. Some scientists consider subspecies of the common hoopoe as certain types, and also distinguish hoopoes into a separate detachment of hoopoes ( Upupiformes).

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a rather numerous species. Despite the fact that the overall bird population has decreased in recent years, its dynamics does not currently allow this species to be considered vulnerable. In the International Red Book, hoopoe has the status of a taxon of minimal risk (category LC).

In Dahl's explanatory dictionary for hoopoe, 2 synonyms are indicated - empty and potatuyka. Currently, these names are rarely used in everyday life.

Description

Appearance

A small bird with a length of 25-29 cm and a wingspan of 44-48 cm. Standing out for its striped black and white plumage of wings and tail, long thin beak and long crest on its head, it is one of the most easily recognizable birds. The color of the head, neck and chest, depending on the subspecies, varies from pinkish to chestnut (in Russia, the famous Russian ornithologist S. A. Buturlin describes it as “clay-reddish”).

The wings are wide, rounded, painted with contrasting black and whitish-yellow stripes. The tail is of medium length, black with a wide white band in the middle. The ventral part of the body is pinkish-red, with blackish longitudinal stripes on the sides.

The crest on the head is orange-red, with black tops of feathers. Usually the crest is complex and has a length of 5-10 cm, (depending on the size of the bird) however, when landing (rarely at other times), the bird dissolves it, usually 10-15 cm in height. fan.

Beak 4-5 cm long, slightly curved down. The tongue, unlike many other bird species, is greatly reduced.

The legs are lead-gray, rather strong, with short metatarsus and blunt claws. Males and females do not differ externally from each other. Juvenile birds are generally less saturated, have a shorter beak and crest.

Behavior

On the ground it moves quickly and nimbly, like starlings. In the event of a sudden alarm, when there is no way to escape, it can hide, clinging to the ground, spreading its wings and tail and lifting its beak up.

During the period of incubation and feeding of chicks, adult birds and chicks produce an oily liquid secreted from the coccygeal gland and having a sharp unpleasant odor. By releasing it along with the droppings on the alien, hoopoes try to protect themselves from medium-sized ground predators - as a result of such adaptation, in the eyes of a person, the bird has gained a reputation as a very “unclean” creature. The flight of the hoopoe is slow, fluttering like a butterfly. However, it is quite maneuverable, and raptors rarely manage to grab a hoopoe in the air.

Voice

The hoopoe's vocalization is as special as its appearance. The voice is a deaf, slightly guttural three-to-five-syllable cry “up-up-up” or “oud-oud-oud” (from where it got its name), repeated several times in a row. The interval between series of sounds rarely exceeds 5 s. Generic scientific name of the bird Upupa, is an onomatopoeia of this unusual song (a phenomenon called onomatopoeia in linguistics).

In addition, in case of surprise or fright, the hoopoe utters a piercing cry “chi-ir”, reminiscent of the cry of a ringed dove. Sometimes during mating games or when caring for offspring, it makes a dull rolling sound.

Spreading

area

The hoopoe is an old world bird. In Eurasia, it is distributed throughout from west to east, in its middle and southern parts. In the west and north of Europe, it practically does not nest in the British Isles (accidental flights to the south of England are known), the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, as well as in the highlands of the Alps, Apennines and Pyrenees.

In Germany and the Baltic States, it is sporadically distributed. In the European part of Russia, it breeds south of the Gulf of Finland (south of the Leningrad region), Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod regions, the republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan.

In Western Siberia it rises to 56°N. sh., reaching Tomsk and Achinsk. In Eastern Siberia, the range border goes around Lake Baikal from the north, passes through the South Muya Range in Transbaikalia and drops to the 54th parallel in the Amur River basin.

Yucatan, CC BY-SA 3.0

In continental Asia, outside of Russia, it lives almost everywhere, avoiding only deserts and areas of dense forest. Found in the Japanese Islands, Taiwan and Sri Lanka. In the southeast it reaches the southern part of the Malay Peninsula. Random flights to Sumatra and the island of Kalimantan are known. In Africa, the main range is located south of the Sahara, as well as in the far north along the Mediterranean coast. In Madagascar, it lives in the western, more arid part. In the mountains, it usually occurs up to 2000 m above sea level, although in some cases it rises to 3100 m.

Habitat

Usually settles on the plains or in hilly areas, where preference is given to open landscapes without tall grass in combination with individual trees or small groves. It reaches its greatest abundance in warm and arid regions - the steppe and forest-steppe zone, savannah. It lives in steppe ravines, in a meadow, at the edge or on the edge of a forest, in a river valley, in the foothills, in coastal shrub dunes.

It is often found in landscapes used by man - pastures, vineyards or fruit plantations. Sometimes settles within settlements where it feeds on garbage dumps.

Low-lying, damp areas are avoided. For nesting, it uses hollow trees, crevices in stones, burrows in river cliffs, termite mounds, depressions in stone buildings. Active during daylight hours, using tree hollows, rocky crevices or other suitable shelters for lodging.

Migration

Depending on the latitude, settled, nomadic or migrant. Most of the populations of the nominate subspecies breeding in the western Palearctic, with the exception of Egypt and southern Algeria, in winter time moves to the central and southern regions of sub-Saharan Africa. A small number of birds winter in the Mediterranean and in the north of the African continent.

Birds of Central Asia, and, in particular, Siberia, migrate to the south of the continent. A small part of Russian hoopoes winters in the east of Turkmenistan and the southern part of Azerbaijan. The terms of migration are significantly extended in time - spring arrival falls on the beginning of February - May with a peak in mid-March - April, autumn departure begins in mid-July and ends at the end of October. The flight takes place on a wide front, at night or at dawn.

reproduction

Hoopoe reaches sexual maturity at the age of one year. Monogamous. In Russia, birds arrive at nesting sites quite early - in March-April, when the first thawed patches have just appeared. Immediately upon arrival, the males occupy the territory for breeding and behave very actively - they scream loudly, making repeated dull sounds “up-up-up…” and thereby calling the females. In vocalization, the Madagascar subspecies stands somewhat apart - its voice is more reminiscent of a rolling purr. During this period, birds call most often and loudly in the morning and evening, less often during the day.

During courtship, the male and female slowly fly one after another, marking the place for the future nest. Often the same area is used for several years. As a rule, hoopoes breed in separate pairs, however, in the case of the neighborhood of other hoopoes, fights between males are not uncommon at the border of territories, reminiscent of cock-fights.

Naumann, Naturgeschichte der Vogel Mitteleuropas, Public Domain

The nest is arranged in a secluded place - a hollow of a tree, a rocky crevice, a depression on a cliff slope, sometimes in a wall of a stone or clay structure. If there is no suitable shelter nearby, eggs can be laid right on the ground among the dried remains of an animal - for example, the famous German and Russian scientist Peter Pallas described a hoopoe nest in the chest of a human skeleton. The lining is either absent altogether or contains only a few blades of grass, feathers, and bits of cow dung. The hollow may also contain rotten wood dust. Unlike the vast majority of birds, hoopoes never remove droppings from the nest, which gradually accumulates around.

In addition, during the period of incubation and feeding of chicks, birds produce an oily liquid secreted from the coccygeal gland and has a sharp unpleasant odor. This adaptation helps birds to protect themselves from medium-sized land predators, but for humans it gives a reputation as a very “unclean bird”.

Breeding usually occurs once a year, although in the case of a sedentary lifestyle, repeated (up to three) cycles have been noted. Clutch size in temperate climates is 5-9 eggs, in the tropics 4-7 eggs. The eggs are oblong, 26 × 18 mm in size and weigh about 4.4 g. The color varies widely from grayish-white to dark brown, may have a bluish or greenish tint.

One egg is laid per day, incubation begins with the first egg and continues for 25-32 days ( incubation period- 15-16 days). One female incubates while the male feeds her.

The chicks that were born are blind and covered with a sparse reddish down, which after a few days is replaced by another, pinkish-white and thicker. Both parents feed the chicks, alternately bringing them insect larvae and worms.

At the age of 20-27 days (in central Russia - late June or early July), the chicks leave the nest and begin to fly, although they remain close to their parents for several more weeks.

Nutrition

The basis of hoopoe nutrition is made up of small invertebrates: insects, their larvae and pupae (May beetles, dung beetles, dead eaters, grasshoppers, butterflies, steppe fillies, flies, ants, termites), spiders, wood lice, centipedes, small mollusks, etc. Less commonly catches small frogs, lizards and snakes.

It feeds on the surface of the earth, usually in short grass or on bare soil. Possessing a long beak, it often picks in manure, garbage heaps or rotten wood, and makes shallow holes in the ground.

Often accompanied by grazing cattle. The hoopoe's tongue is short, so it is sometimes unable to swallow prey from the ground - for this, the bird throws it into the air, catches it and swallows it. Large beetles are hammered on the ground, previously breaking into pieces.

Photo gallery

Helpful information

Hoopoe
obsolete Russian "Potatuka"
lat. Upupa epops
The bird got its Latin name for a characteristic hoarse cry, often repeated by males “like “oud-oud-oud” or “up-up-up”.
Hebrew דוכיפת
translit. "duhifat"

Bird symbol of Israel

The main rivals of the hoopoe in the championship for the title of the national symbol of Israel were the goldfinch, the barn owl, the white-breasted kingfisher, the thrush, the vulture, the red falcon, the warbler and the sunbird.

One of the IDF units, the Duhifat Battalion, is named after the hoopoe.

Hoopoe in the culture of the peoples of the world

The hoopoe is a noticeable bird and has been mentioned in various literary sources since ancient times, including the sacred writings - the Koran and the Bible. In ancient Greek mythology, according to the works of the ancient classics, the Thracian king Tereus, the son of the god of war Ares and the Biston nymph, was turned into a hoopoe after he tried to kill his wives.

Among the Ingush and Chechens, before the adoption of Islam, the hoopoe (“tushol-kotam”) was considered a sacred bird and symbolized the goddess of spring, fertility and childbearing Tusholi. It was possible to kill a hoopoe only with the permission of the priest for ritual purposes, and its nest in the yard was considered a good omen.

In Islam (Quran 27:20-28) and some Jewish sources (such as the "Targum Sheni" to the "Book of Esther" and "Midrash Mishley", a midrash to the Book of Proverbs), the hoopoe is associated with the lord of birds and beasts, King Solomon. According to legend, once the ruler did not find a hoopoe among his birds, and when he finally found it, he told about the wonderful city of Kitor and its ruler, the beautiful Queen of Sheba (Bilkis among Muslims), who worships the Sun. The king sent a hoopoe to the Sheba land with a message to the queen. In response to the letter, the woman sent him rich gifts, and then paid a visit to the king in Jerusalem.

In the fifth book of the Pentateuch (Torah) and the Old Testament "Deuteronomy", presumably compiled in the 7th century BC. e., hoopoe is mentioned among the birds forbidden to be eaten:

Despite this, at the end of the 19th century in Germany, the meat of adult hoopoes and chicks was eaten and found to be “very tasty”.

One of the Israel Defense Forces battalions is called Duhifat, which means hoopoe in Hebrew. In May 2008, in connection with the 60th anniversary of Israel, at the initiative of the Ministry of Ecology, the elections of the national bird of this state were announced. As a result of the voting, in which all the inhabitants of the country could take part, a hoopoe was chosen - more than 35% voted in favor of this bird, leaving the warbler, goldfinch, short-toed song thrush and some other birds far behind.

In the work of the great Persian Sufi poet Faridaddin Attar "Parliament of Birds", the hoopoe symbolizes the leader of mankind, inviting the birds to go on a long-distance search for their mysterious King Simurgh, who lives on Mount Kaf. This work, full of different images and meanings, has become one of the central ones in Sufism. In medieval collections of zoological articles, bestiaries, hoopoes were often depicted as birds taking care of their elderly parents.

In Russian literature, the hoopoe was mentioned by Maxim Gorky and Velimir Khlebnikov. Gorky did not speak very flatteringly about this bird: “The hoopoe is a completely stupid bird, and in no case can it be trained.” Khlebnikov, in a sketch of an autobiographical story in verse (1909), put it much more favorably:

Samuil Marshak has a retelling of the Czech folk song "Intractable Hoopoe".

The hoopoe is depicted on the 50 dalasis banknote of the Gambia and on postage stamps in many countries around the world.

Systematics and evolution

The hoopoe is the only modern bird species belonging to the Upupidae family (another species, the giant hoopoe (Upupa antaios), which lived on Saint Helena, became extinct in the 16th century). Traditionally, hoopoes are assigned to the order of Racciformes, which, in addition to them, includes 9 more families, including hornbills, which long time considered the closest relatives of hoopoes. The basis of close relationship is a number of common anatomical features, in particular the structure of the sternum. Recently, however, a number of scientists have singled out hoopoe (Upupidae), as well as the family of forest hoopoes (Phoeniculidae), into a separate order of hoopoe-like (Upupiformes). Based on molecular studies (comparative DNA analysis), American biologists Charles Sibley and John Ahlquist hypothesized that the ancestors of hoopoes are hornbills, and forest hoopoes descended from hoopoe. Usually, 10 subspecies of hoopoes are described, depending on the size, color tones and shape of the wings. Some authors, such as James Clemens in Birds of the World: A Checklist, distinguish African hoopoe (U. e. africana) as a separate species based on the work of Sibley and Ahlquist.

The most ancient group of birds, similar to modern hoopoes, is considered to be the extinct family Messelirrisoridae (sister to Upupidae and Phoeniculidae), whose representatives dominated Europe in the Middle Eocene about 49 million years ago.

Probably, the first impressions that can be obtained from a meeting with this representative of the feathered world are a mixture of funny and beautiful! The hoopoe is a very elegant bird. With its bright colors and very clear black and white wing pattern, it will amaze not only the casual observer, but also the expert ornithologist.

Subspecies

The species belongs to the hoopoe family, is widely distributed throughout the Palearctic, and is often seen by residents of Spain and North Africa.

Several so-called subspecies of the genus have been described:

• Upupaindica, native of India and Ceylon.
• Upupalongirostris, which appears to be a form of the Indochinese.
• Upupamarginata native to Madagascar.
• Upupaafricana or minor, which lives in South Africa: to the Zambezi in the east and on the west coast of Bengal.

Usually in appearance they are all very similar, with minor differences.

Hoopoe bird: description

The bird is small. In length, its body rarely reaches 30 cm. It is easily recognized by the black plumage of the wings and tail with white stripes, as well as the crest and long thin beak, slightly curved down. The head, neck and breast are colored orange with a red tint, the abdomen has a lighter tone. The brighter the bird is painted, the older it is. Males and females practically do not differ from each other.

The visiting card of the species is a long movable crest on the head, consisting of two rows of red feathers with a black edge at the end. When this representative of birds lands, it opens like a fan.

Now you know what a hoopoe bird looks like.

Spreading

This species is very widespread in Europe (its representatives are its regular inhabitants), as well as in Siberia, Asia and North Africa. Also found in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa.

The hoopoe is a migratory bird. Inhabited in the summer mainly in Europe and North Asia, in autumn this representative of birds usually flies to winter south, to tropical zones. Most often, hoopoe migrates to equatorial Africa and India, although sometimes it lives all year in China and Northeast Africa.

Usually the bird is located where there is an open area, spending a lot of time on the ground itself. The hoopoe has rather weak wings, but it is capable of considerable long flight, as evidenced by its habit of wandering: the bird often appears in places very far from its usual habitats. His ability to fly is also demonstrated by the fact that, when pursued by a falcon, he quickly rises to extreme heights and often leaves the chase.

The hoopoe is a bird that appears in one part of Europe or another every year, most often in the spring. It does not adapt well to captivity, so very few cases of breeding hoopoes in households are recorded.

Features of migration

The hoopoe, whose photo is in the article, migrates in the northern regions of its range. Migration (much of which occurs overnight) takes place on a broad front across Europe and across the Mediterranean, and probably across the Sahara as well. Although ornithologists point out that the bird population on the "black continent" is inactive in terms of migration all year round. It is likely that most European migrants winter in sub-Saharan Africa or in India, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan.

The duration of the migration seasons is significantly delayed. Autumn acceleration covers the period from mid-July to the end of October or even until the end of November. Hoopoes begin to migrate south of the Sahara in the second half of August, but the main number of birds arrive there in September-October.

Return flights start from the beginning of February. Mass movements occur from mid-March to April and end in May.

habitats

The hoopoe is a bird that chooses the following habitats:

• Wasteland.
• Meadows and pastures.
• Forest steppes.
• Savannah.
• Mountain lands.
• Forest areas.

There should be some vegetation on the ground so that the birds can easily forage for food. There should also be "verticals" where they can build their nests, such as trees, rocks, walls, and haystacks.

Changes made by humans to the hoopoe's natural habitat have resulted in these birds also being commonly found in:

• Vineyards.
• Vegetable gardens and orchards.
• Olive groves.
• Parks and home gardens.

It is interesting that the hoopoe bird, whose habitat is mainly the plains, is also found in mountainous regions at an altitude of up to two thousand meters, it rarely rises higher.

What does hoopoe eat?

The hoopoe (a photo of the bird shows its beauty) feeds mainly on insects - flies, grasshoppers, termites, butterflies, ants, although spiders, worms and larvae also make up a significant part of its diet. beetles different types are his favorite food. When the beetles are large enough, the bird first smashes them on the ground with its beak, and then eats them in parts. She swallows small bugs whole without unnecessary ceremonies.

Hoopoe most often chooses those insects that live in manure, earth, decaying wood. A representative of birds with a long curved beak easily takes them out of a soft tree or a heap of earth. The hoopoe is a bird with a good appetite. In autumn, these birds can become so fat that some gourmets open their hunt. By the way, in some countries of Southern Europe in the 19th century, roast hoopoes were considered an exquisite delicacy.

reproduction

The hoopoe is a monogamous bird, although the pair bond appears to last only one season. These birds are also territorial, with males often claiming ownership of a particular territory. Fights and fights between rival males (and sometimes females) are common and can be violent. Birds will try to prick rivals with their beaks.

The hoopoe usually arranges a dwelling for himself in a pit, on a tree or in a hollow. The nest has a narrow entrance, may be unlined or collected from various wastes, and an unpleasant odor emanates from it, which repels enemies.

Only the female is responsible for incubating the eggs. Clutch size varies by location, with northern hemisphere birds laying more eggs than those in the southern hemisphere, and birds at higher latitudes have larger clutches than birds closer to the equator. In central and northern Europe and Asia, the clutch size is about 12 eggs, while between the tropics and subtropics, usually 4 to 7 eggs in a clutch. The eggs are round and milky blue when laid, but quickly discolored due to dirt in the nest, each weighing 4-5 g. Replacing the clutch is possible if the first breeding attempt is not successful.

The incubation period begins when the female lays her first egg and lasts from 15 to 18 days. Therefore, the chicks hatch asynchronously. During incubation, male hoopoes feed the females.

The chicks hatch with a blanket of down feathers, during the day the first true feathers appear, which later grow back. The children are fed first by the father, the female later joins the male in the task of foraging. Young hoopoes fledge within 26-29 days and stay with their parents for another week after they are covered with full feathers.

Security

In general, the hoopoe population is not considered endangered. According to some estimates, the number of birds in nature varies from 5 to 10 million individuals. Some subspecies are declining in number due to ecosystem disturbance of their habitat and poaching. In Europe, although ornithologists estimate there are 700,000 breeding pairs there, there has been a recent decline in the population. The hoopoe is endangered in Germany and vulnerable in some other countries.

Less and less common in the northern regions is a hoopoe (bird). The Red Book of many Russian regions (for example, Lipetsk, Moscow, Tver, Novosibirsk) contains an entry about this bird.

A hoopoe is a bird that, due to the structure of its beak, cannot peck food from the ground, so it feeds in a rather original way: it takes food with its beak, throws it high into the air, catches it with a wide-open beak and swallows. Like in a circus!

Sometimes, during the hot months, the bird can be found in Iceland. But she never nests there.

If the hoopoe notices bird of prey, he presses tightly to the ground and spreads his wings, becoming invisible from the air.

Hoopoe(from the Latin Upupa epops) is a bird, the only modern representative of the hoopoe family of the coraciiformes order. A medium-sized bird, with a body length of 25-28 cm and a weight of up to 75 g, a wingspan of up to 50 cm.

The hoopoe has a tail of medium length, a small head with a long (about 5 cm), slightly curved beak and a movable opening crest on top of the crown. The color of the plumage is variegated and varies, depending on the species, from pinkish to light brown.

The wings and tail have alternating black and white stripes. From the description of the hoopoe bird, it is clear that this small miracle is very attractive and interesting. Because of its colorful, remarkable crest, the hoopoe has become a very popular and well-known representative of birds.

In 2016 at the annual meeting of the Union for the Protection of Birds Russian Federation chose hoopoe bird of the year. Scientists, on a territorial basis, distinguish nine species of hoopoes:

1. common hoopoe(from lat. Upupa epops epops) - lives, including in the southern regions of the Russian Federation;

2. Senegalese hoopoe (from lat. Upupa epops senegalensis);

3. African hoopoe (from lat. Upupa epops africana);

4. Madagascar hoopoe (from lat. Upupa epops marginata);

The method of their extraction is very simple and occurs with the help of a long beak, with which the hoopoe picks out prey from the ground or tree bark. Taking the insect out of the shelter, the bird kills it with sharp blows of its beak, throws it into the air and swallows it with its mouth open.

Some species can also drink flower nectar and eat fruits. In general, despite their small size, hoopoes are very voracious birds.

Reproduction and lifespan

As already mentioned above, hoopoes are monogamous birds and they choose their other half once in a lifetime. They reach puberty by the age of one year, when the first choice of a partner occurs.

Males during this period are very noisy and call females with their cries. For nesting, hoopoes choose hollows in trees, crevices in mountainous areas, and sometimes build a nest right on the ground or in tree roots.

Samo hoopoe's nest small, often consisting of several branches and a small number of leaves. Fertilization occurs in most species once a year, in some sedentary species it occurs up to three times a year.

The female lays 4-9 eggs depending on the nesting climate. Every day one egg is laid and for the next 15-17 days each egg is incubated.

With such hatching, the last chicks appear on the 25-30th day. Males do not incubate eggs, during this period they only get food for the female. After the appearance of the chicks, they live with their parents for a month, who feed them and teach them how to live independently.

By this time, the chicks begin to fly on their own and get food for themselves already on their own, after which they leave their parents and begin an independent life.

The average life span of a hoopoe is about eight years. This representative of the order of crayfish is a rather ancient bird; mention of it is found in ancient scriptures, including such as the Bible and the Koran.

Archaeologists have found rock pictures of hoopoe birds in the ancient caves of Persia. Nowadays, few people think about the protection of this wonderful feathered bird at the universal and state level, and at the same time, their numbers are greatly reduced.

How can we help the hoopoe bird? In some countries, to increase the population of these birds, low-toxic fertilizers are sprayed onto the fields, which do not harm the animals living and feeding on them.

They also leave a certain amount of land fallow so that hoopoes can exist on them. I think it is quite possible to implement these measures in our state in those regions where the wonderful hoopoe nests.