Open woodland, orchards, vineyards, parkland, and grassland with bare or sparsely vegetated ground for foraging.
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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Hoopoe
Song
The eponymous call: a soft, far-carrying 'oop-oop-oop', repeated in triplets or quadruplets. Given from a hidden perch; mellow and flute-like. Contact call is a thin 'cherrr'.
Saint Helena Hoopoe
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Geographic Range & Migration
Hoopoe
Europe, Asia, and Africa. Northern populations are migratory. A widespread species across the Old World.
Saint Helena Hoopoe
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Hoopoe
Extinct
Saint Helena Hoopoe
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Hoopoe
Plumage
Pinkish-brown body with dramatically barred black and white wings and tail. Long, erectile, fan-shaped crest tipped with black. Undulating butterfly-like flight.
Bill
Long, thin, slightly decurved bill for probing soil
Saint Helena Hoopoe
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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The hoopoe is one of the most distinctive birds in the Old World with its striking zebra-patterned wings and extravagant crest. It is the national bird of Israel and features prominently in mythology from ancient Egypt to the Quran. Hoopoe nests produce a foul-smelling secretion that deters predators.
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More Birds in Family
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