Thursday 8 April 2010

Hoopoe (upupa epops).

The Hoopoe (upupa epops) must surely be one of Europe's most exotic birds. Its long curved bill, and tall prominent black-tipped crest, make it unmistakable. Its upper plumage is a warm cinnamon colour, and its wings strongly barred in black and white.

The Cuckoo has been with us for about two weeks, and we've also heard the Hoopoe's distinctive 'hoo hoo hoo' call. So, we're keeping our fingers crossed, hoping that once again he'll stay around and raise a family nearby.

We've had them here in the past; no reason why they shouldn't stay again..

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8 comments:

  1. It's beautiful, is it somekind of a woodpecker?

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  2. I thought I heard a cuckoo in Wiltshire the day before yesterday (the first for over 10 years), but it turned out to be a dove imitating one. I did see a white duck walking over our supermarket rooftop, pretending to be a sea gull though. No Hoopoes as yet.

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  3. Linda, they're 'ground' birds. They look a bit like woodpeckers, but are not related. Very exotic for Europe.

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  4. My daughter and I had a very serious argument about Hoopoes when she was 8. She swore they lived in Europe. I knew they lived in southern Africa. Funny that we were both right. (I've since learned my lesson about arguing facts with her.)

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  5. Oh, and we're both very jealous that you get to see them!

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  6. Sadly not so often as we'd like, Annalia. We hear them more than see them; rather like Cuckoos.

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