The
hoopoe is a medium sized colorful bird, almost 25 to 32 cm long, with a
44 to 48 cm wingspan. The bird weighs is approximately 46 to 89 g. The
species is highly distinctive, notable for its distinctive "crown" of
feathers with a long, thin tapering bill that is black with a fawn base.
The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened
when probing inside the soil. The bird has wide and rounded wings gifted
of strong flight; these’re larger in the northern migratory subspecies.
The bird has a characteristic undulating flight, which is same that of a
giant butterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each
beat or short sequence of beats.
The
hoopoe or Upupa epops is the only extant species in the family
Upupidae. Well, same as Latin name upupa, the English name is an
onomatopoeic form which reproduces the cry of the bird. The hoopoe is
the national bird of Republic of Israel. The bird is named after its
vocalizations, the Eurasian hoopoe emits a low "hoop, hoop, hoop, hoop".
The pinkish brown to chestnut plumage with black and white bars and an
inspiring fan-like crest make the Eurasian hoopoe instantly
recognizable. The Eurasian hoopoe forages mainly on short grass and bare
soil for invertebrates.
The
bird call is typically a trisyllabic oop-oop-oop, which may give rise
to its English and scientific names, although two and four syllables are
also common. The hoopoe is prevalent in Europe, Asia, and North Africa,
Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Most European and north Asian birds
migrate to the tropics in winter. In contrast, the African populations
are sedentary all year. The species has been a vagrant in Alaska; U. e.
saturata was recorded there in 1975 in the Yukon Delta. Hoopoes have
been known to breed north of their European range, and in southern
England during warm, dry summers that provide plenty of grasshoppers and
similar insects, although as of the early 1980s northern European
populations were reported to be in the decline, possibly due to changes
in climate.
The
unique hoopoe has two basic requirements of its habitat, one is bare or
lightly vegetated ground on which to forage and vertical surfaces with
cavities in which to nest.
These requirements can be provided in a wide
range of ecosystems, and as a result the hoopoe inhabits a wide range of
habitats such as heathland, wooded steppes, savannas and grasslands, as
well as forest glades. The change of natural habitats by humans for
numerous agricultural purposes has led to hoopoes becoming common in
olive groves, orchards, vineyards, parkland and farmland, even though
they’re less common and are declining in intensively farmed areas.
Moreover hunting is of concern in southern Europe and Asia. The
beautiful hoopoes are distinctive birds and have made a big cultural
impact over much of their range. Though they were considered sacred in
Ancient Egypt, and were portrayed on the walls of tombs and temples.
They achieved a similar standing in Minoan Crete.
The
Hoopoes make seasonal travelers in response to rain in some regions
such as in Ceylon and in the Western Ghats. The birds have been seen at
high altitudes during migration across the Himalayas. One case was
recorded at about 21,000 feet by the first Mount Everest expedition. In
what was long thought to be a defensive posture, normally hoopoes
sunbathe by spreading out their wings and tail low against the ground
and tilting their head up; they frequently fold their wings and preen
halfway through. They also like taking dust and sand baths.
The
Hoopoe diet is mostly consists of insects, small reptiles, frogs and
plant matter such as seeds and berries are sometimes taken as well. You
know it is a solitary forager which naturally feeds on the ground.
Moreover they’ll rarely feed in the air, where their strong and rounded
wings make them fast and maneuverable, in pursuit of plentiful swarming
insects. The bird commonly their foraging style is to stride over
relatively open ground and occasionally pause to probe the ground with
the full length of their bill. The Hoopoe insect larvae, pupae and mole
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. The Hoopoe common diet items include crickets, locusts,
beetles, earwigs, cicadas, ant lions, bugs and ants.
Hoopoes
are monogamous, though the pair bond actually only lasts for a single
season, and territorial. The male bird calls frequently to promote his
ownership of the territory. Chases and fights between rival males and
sometimes females are common and can be brutal. Hoopoe bird’s likes to
stab rivals with their bills, and individuals are occasionally blinded
in fights. The Hoopoe prefer to make nest is in a hole in a tree or
wall, and left a narrow entrance in them. It may be unlined, or numerous
scraps may be collected. The female bird is accountable for incubating
the eggs. Because their 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 & northern Europe and Asia the clutch size
is about 12, while it is about 4 in the tropics and 7 in the subtropics.
The eggs shapes are round and milky blue when laid, but rapidly
discolor in the increasingly dirty nest. They weigh 4.5 grams.
Hoopoes
have well-developed anti-predator defenses in the nest. The uropygial
gland of the incubating and brooding female is speedily modified to
create a foul-smelling liquid, and the glands of nestlings do so as
well. These secretions are rubbed into the plumage, which smells like
rotting meat, and is thought to support deter predators, as well as
deter parasites and probably act as an antibacterial agent. The
secretions end soon before the young leave the nest. 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. The young also strike with
their bill or with one wing.
The
incubation period for the species lies between 15 to 18 days, during
that time the male feeds the female bird. However incubation initiates
as soon as the first egg is laid, so the chicks are born asynchronously.
The baby chicks hatch with a covering of downy feathers. Moreover by
around three to five days, feather quills emerge which will become the
adult feathers. The baby bird is brooded by the female for between nine
to fourteen days. The female bird later joins the male in the task of
carrying food. The young fledge in 26 to 29 days and remain with the
parents for about a week more. The main diet of the hoopoe includes
numerous species considered by humans to be pests, such as the pupae of
the processionary moth, a damaging forest pest. So, for this reason the
species are afforded protection under the law in various countries.
Hoopoes
also has (zikr) appeared in the Qur’an and are recognized as the
"hudhud", in Surah Al-Naml 27:20–22: "And Prophet Hazrat Salman (A.S)
sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or
is he among the absent? I verily will punish him with hard punishment
or I verily will slay him, or he verily shall bring me a plain excuse.
But 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 from Sheba with
sure tidings." Islamic literature also states that a hoopoe saved Moses
and the children of Israel from being crushed by the giant Og after
crossing the Red Sea. You can read out full article of Prophet Sulayman (PBUH), Bilqees, and the Hud-Hud at
Read Full Story at Muslimvillage
Hoopoes
were seen as a symbol of virtue in Persia. A hoopoe was a leader of the
birds in the Persian book of poems The Conference of the Birds ("Mantiq
al-Tayr" by Attar) points out that the “Simurgh" was the king of the
birds. Hoopoes were thought of as thieves across much of Europe, and
harbingers of war in Scandinavia. In Estonian tradition, hoopoes are
strongly connected with death and the underworld; their song is believed
to foreshadow death for many people or cattle. The hoopoe is the king
of the birds in the Ancient Greek comedy The Birds by Aristophanes. 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
the northern lapwing in mind, considering its crest.
The
video is shooting by me in Lahore Pakistan, when a pair of this
beautiful bird was grassing in the fields. As this is migratory bird and
have often comes in Lahore Pakistan in spring season. When the season
over, they’ve move to some other location. Check out the video at the end of post.
The Wonderful “Hoopoe or Eurasian hoopoe” is Notable distinctive Crown Feathers Bird from
Tauheed Ahmad Nawaz on
Vimeo.
